Si vis pacem
by TheLastThingYou'llNeverSee
Summary: If you have a chance at a new life, will you take it? Or will you do everything to find the person you used to be? When your old life and your new life collide, will you choose? Or will you watch everything around you crash and burn?
1. Prologue

Fallout Fanfiction – Chapter One Prelude into Darkness

The first thing she noticed was a sharp pain in the back of her skull. She tried to reach for it but her hands wouldn't move. The pain was blurring her vision and her thoughts were sluggish.

 _It's cold. Where the fuck am I anyway? What the hell happened?_

Voices drifted over the young girl but she couldn't make out any distinct words, only fragments. She started to panic when she opened her eyes and saw the inside of a burlap sack.

 _Okay... Okay, calm down. It's cold, so I'm outside. I feel... sand, and rocks. Men are talking. Two? No, three._ Where _am I? They don't seem to have noticed that I'm awake yet. I was... On my way to Vegas_ _?_ _Right... The Quarry was full of Deathclaws and I wanted to head_ _n_ _orthwest to avoid it. And then I got jumped. Feels like I got run over by a freaking Brahmin._

The pain spiked up into the back of her head again and she couldn't quite suppress a groan.

"Guess who's waking up over here." _Well fuck._

Footsteps were coming closer and the girl was hauled to her knees. The sack vanished from her head. Her vision was blurry so she focused on the little glowing red spot in front of her.

"Time to cash out."

The man's features grew sharper. He looked familiar but she couldn't put a name to the face. He was wearing a horribly chequered suit that didn't appear to belong into the wasteland that surrounded them. The third man came closer and looked at her indifferently.

"Would you get it over with?" The man in the fine suit held up his hand to silence his companion.

"Maybe Khans kill people without looking them in the face, but I ain't a fink, ya dig?" He flicked his cigarette to the ground in front of the other man's feet.

He turned back to the girl kneeling before him and pulled a large shiny disk from his coat.

"You've made your last delivery kid." He examined the chip before putting it back into his pocket and pulled out a gun that shone in the moonlight.

"Sorry you got twisted up in this scene." He pointed the intricately designed weapon at her head.

 _Your buddy was right, get it over with. Pointing your gun at my face won't scare me, this is what I was taught to do. Show no fear in the face of death._ For some reason she couldn't find her voice to tell him so, but her face was set in a stony expression. The man looked down at her with a smirk on his face that showed her that he admired her courage.

"From where you're kneeling it must seem like an 18-carat run of bad luck."

For a fleeting moment she was afraid that her facade would crumble, but it passed and her resolve was as strong as ever. She and the man locked eyes. Time seemed to stand still.

"Truth is... The game was rigged from the start."


	2. Chapter 1

FNVFFCHP 1 – Sian

 _Oooowww...my head hurts._ The young womangroaned. Her skull felt like it was shattered but she pushed past the pain and managed to sit up. Her head was spinning with the effort. She winced at the bright light when she forced her eyelids open. _Okay, take a deep breath. You'll be fine. Just find out where you are_ _a_ _nd what the hell happened._ The pain was slowly receding. Her head jerked up when she heard footsteps approaching. That was a bad idea though and she hissed as the pain flamed up again.

"Well, hello. You're awake, how bout that." A bald man with a white moustache and scruffy clothes stood in front of the bed. Her first reaction was to jump up and pin the old timer to the wall. _Whoa_ _,_ _where the fuck did that come from?_

Since jumping out of the bed was not an option in her current state, she swung her feet off the cover and prepared to stand up.

"Whoa, easy there. Easy. You been out cold a couple of days now. Why don't you just relax a second? Get your bearings."

"Where am I?" Her eyes were still a bit unfocused so she opted for looking at the floorboards. "Who are you?"

"The name's Doc Mitchell and you're in my house in Goodsprings." He sat down in a chair in front of the bed. "You were brought to my place more dead than alive. I did what I could but I had to go rooting around there in your noggin to pull all the bits of lead out. Now, I take pride in my needlework, but that bullet will leave you marked. Not the first mark on you from what I've seen."

"You like eyeballing your patients, Doc?" The cheeky grin told Doc Mitchell his patient was already feeling a lot better than she should have been. _Huh, this girlie must have had some heck of a training to just brush off being shot in the head._

"So, how about you tell me your name?"

"My name is..." _Wait, what's my name? Why don't I know my name? Who am I?_ "I don't know my name. I.. How can I know that I don't know? Doc, what's going on in my head?"

"Okay, calm down girlie. You took quite a blow to the head, retrograde amnesia is normal. You might wake up tomorrow and remember everything, it might take months. Now in the mean time, we might look through your bag. Maybe we'll find something."

The old man grabbed a messenger bag from under the bed and pulled it onto his lap. It was worn and dirty, with many strange patches sewn onto it. The one that caught her eye was a stitching of wheat on the lower left corner of the flap. She didn't know why, but she was drawn to this particular patch. Doc Mitchell opened the bag and started rummaging inside, extracting two pieces of paper.

"Well, this one here is a Delivery note for the Mojave Express. Looks like you're a courier, Missy."

"Really? What does it say?" Her vision was getting clearer and while these tidbits about who she was were interesting, she did not feel that Doc was talking about her, rather telling her about a stranger.

"Hmm, a lot of business gibberish. You'll have to check with the office that wrote this. Then there's something about a platinum chip. You were supposed to deliver it to New Vegas it seems."

 _Right, that weird guy in the checkered suit pulled out a platinum chip._ "So that little disk is the reason I got jumped? What the hell was I carrying?"

"It doesn't really say anything more. This other piece of paper is strange though. Take a look. Maybe it'll make sense to you."

The girl reached for the folded piece of paper and began to examine it. On the outside stood four strange symbols. After a minute she realized they were letters and that, apparently, she could read them. _Sian.. Sian. It sounds... I know this word. What does it mean?_

Doc Mitchell was watching her. Her face betrayed nothing, but her eyes clearly showed how upset she was. In one fluid movement her head snapped up and every muscle in her body tensed. She sat like this for about a minute until her head slowly turned toward him. Her eyes were wide, her face as pale as a sheet.

' _Sian, my fire burns inside of you! This flame will always illuminate your path!'_

"My name is Sian."

"Now where did that come from all of a sudden?"

Sian shook her head in wonder. "I don't really know. It.. The name sounded familiar and then I had a... It just felt right."

 _I think I've heard this before._ _It sounds like the echo of a dream._

She rubbed her face with her hands and groaned out of pure frustration. "Urgh, this is so confusing and it makes my head hurt."

Doc got up and smiled at the young woman on the bed. "Well, Sian, seeing as figuring out your name was more than we could hope for, I'd say you lie back down. Sleep a few hours and I'll wake you for dinner. You can stay here as long as you need to, so don't push yourself too hard. We'll take it a day at a time."

Sian smiled up at this scruffy old man who had opened his home to her so graciously.

"Thanks, Doc. Sleep and food sound like a plan to me."


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Sian spent a little over two weeks in Doc Mitchell's house. She didn't remember much more than her name but they found another scrap of paper in her bag that indicated that she was about 16 years of age.

The first few days consisted mainly of eating and sleeping, but the young girl felt stronger everyday. Soon she was roaming about the house, reading Doc's pre-war books, doing exercises and having long talks with Doc Mitchell about the situation in the Mojave.

He told her about his experiences travelling the wasteland, hoping something would trigger a memory. Occasionally the name of a city would catch Sian's attention for a split second but any feeling of recognition would pass quickly.  
This infuriated her for the the first few days, even to the point of covert tears, but, with Doc Mitchell's help, she learned to accept her new situation.  
After almost two weeks Doc came into her room one morning finding, not her, but a bunch of chemicals on the bed. Sian walked into the room pulling a towel off her head.

"Well, good morning, missy. That shade of blue's looking mighty fine. Not my first choice but if you like it."  
The young girl stood by the open window and started to comb her hair. The dark blue shade she'd concocted completely changed her face, making the features sharper and her face appear older.  
"Thanks. I needed a change. It's like you said, I'm not who I used to be anymore and I needed something to help me make that cut between the stranger I was and the person I am now."

She started to gather up the chemicals and returned them to their places on the desk.  
"I poked around a bit and well, I realized that the smell and colours of most of the substances seemed familiar. I knew I'd created the right thing, don't know why or how I knew, but it worked."  
The ambled into the kitchen together and Sian started making breakfast, something she picked up quickly because Doc Mitchell simply could not cook. How that man managed to feed himself was a mystery to her. Also, she found cooking enjoyable.  
She brought two helpings of fried yucca banana with cactus fruit, while Doc got himself a coffee and a Sarsaparilla for her.  
In her time at his house they had gotten into the habit of discussing things she read in Doc's books at mealtimes.

Today they got hung up on the differentiation between good and evil.  
"But Doc, come on... Who decides what is good and what is evil? You? Me? Some obscure pre-war deity? I say something is good and you say the same thing is evil? Who's right, then?"  
Doc Mitchell inhaled his coffee and got another. He would never understand how she could entertain such complex thoughts this early in the morning.  
"Anyone ever tell you, that you ask difficult questions?"  
The old man sighed and sat back down rubbing his eyes.  
"I s'pose you're right though. I was taught by my parents. That's how it usually goes. You learn from the people who raise you."  
Sian pushed her yucca banana around on her plate.  
"I don't know if I was taught anything. And if I was, I don't know what I classified as good or evil. So what do I do, Doc? How do I know what the difference is?"  
"I'm guessing, you have to rely on your instincts, you know, intuition? I've been living with you for two weeks and I'd say you have a pretty good understanding of wrong and right. And if you ever don't know, I'd say just follow your gut. You're a sweet girl, you've been helpful and kind all the time and I've never felt uncomfortable once. Don't worry about this so much, every decision you make, I'd back you up."  
Sian was never sure what to make of that. She was glad that Doc Mitchell was so supportive, but she wasn't entirely sure that this was how the world worked.

This was the day Sian ventured outside.  
Doc Mitchell sent her to a woman named Sunny smiles who was likely to help her figure out how to survive in the wasteland. Sian was pretty sure she didn't need that, but she decided to go simply to appease the man who took care of her.  
Over the two weeks her few belongings had spread over the house and she was hunting them down. The few extra shirts and the second pair of pants were the easiest to pack, simply rolled up as tight as possible and stuffed into her messenger bag. Next came a few boxes of ammunition, which was strange as she didn't have a gun. She didn't linger on that too much though. She retrieved two thin, worn books from the living room. She had been surprised to find these within her bag, not really knowing why. They felt familiar though.  
But she decided that these books were to be concealed, as Doc Mitchell had given her quite a few strange looks for reading them. They were written in two different languages, so maybe it simply wasn't common for wastelander's to have this level of education.  
Next in came a few bottles of purified water and some medical supplies she'd been given.  
The bag wasn't full yet, apparently she was packing very efficiently, but the only other things she had were a worn, but dangerously sharp combat knife and a black machete with a gracefully curved blade. It looked to be pretty new, but she couldn't be sure.  
Without really thinking about it, Sian shoved the knife down her boot and grabbed the sheath for her machete. It looked home-made, fashioned out of sturdy leather lined with fur.  
It went on her back and in one precise movement, the machete rested inside. She was geared up and ready to leave when the older man approached her.

"Sian, I know now, that this wouldn't have been necessary, but when you were brought here... I decided to rather be safe than sorry, I hope you understand..."

He held out a gun to her. A shiny, perfectly maintained Auto .45. The grip panel was fashioned out of what looked to be carved ivory, contrasting beautifully with the black weapon. She reached for it, the grip felt so familiar, it felt like power... and like home...  
Sian was having a hard time controlling her emotions. She didn't know why this moment was so upsetting but she knew right away that this had been important to the girl she once was.  
She was at a loss for words and simply looked at the Doc with her big black eyes.

"You... You didn't.. take my blades.." she managed to choke out.

Doc Mitchell sighed. He motioned for the girl to sit on the bed behind her while he claimed the chair.  
"I took the gun from you, not because I was afraid you'd shoot me, but because I didn't know what to make of it. Same with that damn book of yours."  
The blue haired girl looked at him, her eyes wide and confused.  
He sighed again.  
"Do me a favour, will ya? Read the words etched into the barrel."

Sian only just noticed the writing, and turning it from a side to another, she read.  
"Si vis pacem... Para bellum." She looked at him with a raised brow.

"Tell me what that means, girlie. I don't speak Latin."

That word "Latin" let loose something akin to a storm flood in her brain. No real memories surfaced, only fragments and feelings of love and security, hate and fear. It took her a few minutes to focus back on the task at hand.  
Now that she knew, that this was a different language, translating it was easy.  
Keeping her eyes on the fine weapon she said: "If you want peace.. Prepare for war."


	4. Chapter 3

SVP FFN CHAPTER 3

Doc Mitchell had told her not to talk about the fact she understood Latin.  
"But why?", she had asked, "Is it really that bad that I'm apparently smart enough to know two languages?"

He had told her that, no, it would be great, if it was any other language, and explained that while the Followers of the Apocalypse, a Californian group, also had members who spoke Latin, most people associated that language with Caesar's Legion.  
He then explained to her what exactly the Legion was. They had never lingered on the topic too long before and now she understood why.  
Sian didn't feel as revolted as she should have by what she heard. When she noticed Doc Mitchell giving her a questioning glance, she faked repulsed exclamations.  
This seemed to appease him.

Her thoughts swirled around the Legion all day. Even while she was helping Sunny clear out the springs, or overhearing the encounter Trudy the Saloon owner had with a Powder.. Dude? She couldn't remember. She'd said they wanted them to hand over a guy they'd been pursuing. Of course, a nice little town like Goodsprings would never do that.

Even when she was forced to think about other things, her mind always drifted back to the horrors she'd been told about the group from Arizona.

The Legion crucified and raped, tortured and razed entire settlements to the ground.  
Doc Mitchell had said they simply wanted to expand, and that they killed or enslaved everyone in their path. But he didn't explain why.  
She had asked Sunny and Trudy and they had told her essentially the same things.  
Nobody seemed to know anything other than them being slavers with and addiction to messy kills.  
She didn't voice her own thoughts on the matter.

 _Somehow I don't think people would take to kindly to the fact that I partially agree. The things I heard on the radio, those Doc told me about. And these Powder freaks? Fire has to be fought with fire. Force with even more force... I'll need to find someone who can tell me the other side of this story. But, just in case, I should probably try to stay away from them. Slaving rapists don't sound like fun company to me..._

Sian almost walked straight into the door of the gas station she was headed for. Sunny had sent her to talk to this Ringo fellow, the one who's fault it was that this town was even in danger. She thought they should just kill him and get it over with.  
But Sunny had been adamant about helping him and Sian guessed it couldn't hurt to have some people like her.

She almost changed her mind when she stared down the barrel of a gun, right when she stepped through the door.  
Sian narrowed her eyes at the man.

"You'd better make that first shot count. You won't get a second.", she said with a voice as cold and clear as ice. Her hands hadn't even moved toward her pistol, but apparently the man opposite her did not feel like pushing his luck.

 _Too bad... Would have been fun..  
_

She listened to this Ringo character rehash the story of how his caravan had been attacked and he'd been followed here.

The young girl before him vocally agreed with him, that, yes, trade caravans should be better protected, but she thought it would be more efficient to rather just eliminate the threat altogether. Again, this was a thought she knew wouldn't sit well with these do-gooders.  
Irrational anger started to rise, but Sian quelled it just in time to her him say that they could fight of these thugs, if they had help.  
So, sighing, the girl made her way back to town. Now she was doing footwork again. She talked to Trudy, convincing her how much fun it would be to just fuck these Powder Dudes up. It took surprisingly little convincing. _HA! I like her! Trudy's got a wild side._

Next up was Easy Pete. He rambled on about how great being a Prospector was, when even Sian knew they were glorified dirt diggers. It was really hard to keep a pleasant smile on her face, especially when he told her he would not hand over his precious explosive to someone so inexperienced.  
 _Fucking waste of time THAT was. Bet he'll not even show tonight._

Chet was a fucking coward, Sian noted. He would be of no help at all, but she convinced him to loan them some leather armour.  
She simply wondered aloud, if it were really that good for business, if the Powder Fucks took over.  
 _Disgusting man. Only cares about his freaking profit.. No cares to lives at stake._

The last person she needed to talk to was Doc Mitchell. She was frustrated, but at the same time secretly relieved that he couldn't fight. He gave her all the stimpacks he still had and told her not to get hurt.  
 _At least he's safely out of harm's way. We might need someone to patch us up._

 _And... And I'm glad he won't get hurt..  
_

Shaking these annoying, and frankly very confusing, thoughts out of her head, Sian made her way back to the gas station on the hill. Sunny called from behind her that she'd rounded up some more citizens.  
Time to go get Ringo and move in position.  
 _Show time!_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

There was chaos all around her. Gunshots, people yelling, one of the Powders howling in pain as Sunny's dog Cheyenne was trying to rip his leg off.

She loved it! The sounds of battle rang familiar in her ears and her adrenaline was shooting through the roof. Her machete in her left hand, her gun in her right, she charged at the attackers. Whenever she cut someone down, she felt a sharp sting of pleasure run up and down her spine.  
Every bullet that hit its mark, gave her a feel of power.  
She never even noticed a bullet grazing her face. Sian felt absolutely nothing other than glee, like someone had unleashed a beast in her and it was clawing itself to the surface.

When the last man fell, she stood, covered in the blood of her enemies, a wide grin on her face. Stopping herself from laughing, she turned towards the other townspeople.

"Loot them for supplies! We'll split evenly. Trudy? How about a party at the Saloon?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Goodsprings Saloon was full of celebrating, everyone shouting out their victories to anyone who would listen. Their spoils if war were evenly distributed, Sian claiming only caps and some ammunition.

Currently she was sitting on a table, getting drinks left and right, while Doc Mitchell fussed about the wound on her cheek.

"Mitch, go away! Have some fun and chat up Trudy or something! The damn bullet only grazed me anyway!"

Sian laughed outright at his red tinged face and waved him away. She was in such a good mood that she even laughed with Easy Pete and listened to the alleged heroics Chet was boasting about.

It had been worth it, all the fighting.. These people here were a community.  
Sure, everyone had their faults and weaknesses, but these people always had each other.  
Suddenly all the good feelings drained out of her. They had each other, but who did she have?  
With ease, she slipped out of the Saloon, gathered her bag at Mitch's House and turned south.  
She still felt unhappy and lonely, she felt like crying.  
Without looking back, she walked off into the night. The light sheen emitted by the screen of the Pipboy Doc Mitchell had given, was the only light guiding her through the darkness.


	5. Chapter 4

So, Short Author's note.. I promise, short :D

First, Thank you for following and/or favouriting the Story!  
Also, thank you for the nice review, I REALLY loved that one :) 3

I ENCOURAGE people to leave reviews, because I like knowing what you think about my story and constructive critisiscm is always welcome.

Now that that's done, enjoy Sian's adventures throughout our favorite wasteland :)

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Chapter 4

Sian walked half the night before finding a sheltered ridge to rest. Building a fire, she decided this place was too much in the open to actually sleep, but she dozed off, still very much aware of her surroundings.

 _Si_ _an was standing amidst the flames. Screams and sobs rang through the air and filled with her trepidation and excitement in equal parts. The smell of burning flesh was thick in the air..._ _that familiar, sickening, musty sensation, filling her lungs with every inhale... breathing the flesh of the fallen..._ _S_ _ian's thoughts were racing a_ _mile a minute when a deep, cold voice sliced through them. "Pile body upon body." The sound made the back of her neck prickle. Slowly, she turned. She KNEW this voice. A man stood before her but the girl couldn't make out any features. They were shifting into focus, and right when she was about to recognize him.._

"Ha-?!"  
Sian jerked up, awoken by a high-pitched whine.  
 _Fuck! I must've fallen asleep. What the hell woke me?_

Again, a whine rang through the air. It sounded pained, making Sian jump to her feet. She grabbed her machete and followed the sounds to a grizzly sight.  
Three Geckos had surrounded a nighstalker denmother and her pups. The geckos spotted her and decided she would make a better meal.  
Time seemed to slow as Sian shot the furthest one and it dropped at once. The other two were a bit more of a challenge, but her machete made short work of them, for Sian fought with anger.  
Approaching the denmother, she had a sinking feeling in her stomach. It was lying on its side, in a pool of blood, her dead puppies strewn around her.  
Sian felt like unloading her clip into the damn geckos, but was stopped by a little high-pitched yip.

 _What the hell? Where did that come from?_

She looked around, and the denmother let out a loud bark, making the yipping continue.  
Amongst the rocks Sian found a tiny nighstalker puppy. It was the only one that'd survived, but had a gash on his leg.

"Oh, you poor little thing. Come here, you.."

With a slender hand, she grabbed the pup and examined the cut. It didn't seem deep, nor particularly dangerous. She walked back to the mother and held out the puppy to her.  
She slipped her split tongue all over her baby, but soon succumbed to her injuries.

Sian watched her a moment longer, then turned abruptly, marching back to the fire with the little puppy securely in her arms.

She sat and placed the little canine in her lap. It curled up immediately, shivered a bit, but made no move to escape.  
The girl pulled her bag close and, with one hand, rummaged through it for healing powder and an extra shirt. The other hand was on the traumatized puppy in her lap.  
She tore some strips of cloth off the shirt and used the first one to wash the wound, and then apply the stinging powder to the hind limb. The pup flinched a bit, but still made no attempts to flee.

Sian didn't know why she cared so about this notoriously dangerous creature. It didn't seem to mind her though. Even the gravely wounded denmother had allowed her to approach. She decided not to over think this. She'd just take the puppy with her if it was still there in the morning. It was still too young to walk very far, but Sian had room in her bag.  
She wrapped the little creatures leg in a second strip of cloth. She was tired all of a sudden.

 _Screw it, I'll just sleep some. We'll just see what happens.."  
_ With that, the girl flopped onto her back, the puppy securely on her stomach.  
Sian placed one hand under her head and looked at the little mutant on her stomach.  
It yawned and snuggled itself into her shirt.  
Smiling, she place one hand softly on the puppy and drifted off to sleep.

Her last thought was that she was going to have to come up with a name...

XXXXXXXXXX

The sun rose crimson and gold over the Mojave, bathing everything in brilliant light. Sian wanted to sleep. Screw the sunrise! She was tired.  
She only opened her eyes when she felt a small, dry tongue on her face.

She grinned and pushed the pup gently to the ground

.  
 _Sooo not a morning person... But whaddaya know, the pup's still here.  
_

The very sleepy girl struggled to a sitting position with some difficulty. She rubbed her eyes and watched the tiny nightstalker jump around the dead fire, every landing a bit awkward.

Sian had to laugh as she watched it leaping around. The sun rose steadily while she was looking for something to eat, hoping the little nightstalker was already weaned.  
She found some crispy squirrel bits that still looked edible.

Gazing back at the puppy, she looked just in time to see a ray of sunshine land on its fur, making it glow in a warm, golden sheen.  
It made a word appear in her mind, seemingly out of nowhere.

"I guess that settles it, then.. Aurelio it is, the golden one... Come here, boy, I got some food."

The newly christened Aurelio came running haphazardly, and plonked down in her lap, starring expectantly at the meat in her hand.

XXXXXXXXXX

It took awhile to get on the road again, but about an hour after sunrise, Sian was on her way, Aurelio nestled safely in her bag, peeking out from under the flap.

She checked the map of her new Pipboy, deciding where she would go next.  
Sian thought about going to Vegas, it was where she should have been, anyway. But someone had mentioned a Mojave Express Station in Primm. That sounded like a good starting point.  
Something was drawing her south anyway. And inexplicable feeling, telling her that it was where she needed to go.

The girl didn't know if the old Sian listened to gut feelings much, but this new one couldn't resist the pull..

 _South it is... Hope we find a merchant or something soon.. We need some food and I'm not yet desperate enough for Gecko steak._

The blue haired girl and her pet met with little resistance on their way to Primm. There was a Powder Ganger camp at an intersection, but Sian got around it without being seen. That wasn't even particularly hard.

Frankly, it was harder dodging the sludge from the bloatfly that seemed intent on harassing her. She felt vindicated when it exploded from a bullet.

Trigger-happy as ever, Sian almost shot the man running up to her when Primm came into view. Gruff and unfriendly, he told her that the city of Primm was off limits to civilians due to a stand off with escaped convicts.

"You'll find," Sian started with a lofty, arrogant tone of voice, "That I'm more than capable of dealing with a couple of thugs."

"Yeah? Fine. Just stick to the right side of the overpass and I did my job." The man sounded affronted.

Sian walked into what seemed a improvised military camp, remembering what Doc Mitchell had told her about the NCR.

He'd said they wanted power and land, but were spread too thin to prove real resistance against the Legion. He also said, they taxed their citizens into oblivion.  
The taxes, she couldn't know about, but the few soldiers they had here, looked ragged and tired.  
Deciding she needed more information, Sian went to look for the Commander of this sorry excuse for a camp.

Stepping through a tent flap, she met a lone man in uniform and a certain air of authority.

"You in charge of this.. place?"

The man looked surprised to see a civilian.

"Name's Hayes. I'm the Lieutenant and C.O. here. We don't get civilians very often. How may I help you, Ma'am?"

He was politer than she expected and the girl relaxed immediately. She came a bit closer, keeping an eye on him, in case his demeanour changed.

"Well," she started with a disarming smile, "what is there to tell about the situation? I have business in Primm and was told it was off limits. What's the situation?"

The Lieutenant heaved a sigh. He sat at the table and gestured her to sit down.

"I'm not supposed to tell civilians about our situation, but I'm past giving a damn. You'd like a beer?," He asked, reaching underneath the table.

When Sian nodded, he withdrew two bottles, uncorking them and handed one to the girl.

He toasted her and continued: "A little while ago, some convicts at the NCR Correctional Facility staged a mutiny and killed the guards that couldn't get away. Since then, they've been wreaking havoc and some have taken over the Bison Steve Hotel in Primm. The Top Brass wants us to secure the City because it's a important trade location, I'd like to help the citizens get rid of the threat these 'Powder Gangers' pose. But we hardly have the man power to cover our own asses. It's.. not the best of situations."

Sian peered into her half empty bottle thoughtfully.

"So, your bosses expect you to work a miracle, but won't give you anything you actually need to do that? Sounds unfulfilling. Why do you still maintain your post? Is the NCR really worth this? What's so great about them? I don't really know much about the Republic."

"Where do you come from that you haven't heard of the NCR? Never mind, it doesn't matter much. If you haven't heard of us, you must not be from the Legion. Put simply, the NCR is the greatest nation currently functioning."

"Ha! You sound like a textbook, man! What do you really think? I'm not interested in government issue lies, I want the truth, so I can form my own opinion."

Hayes looked at this kid opposite him. She seemed to be in her late teens at the most. Kids that age should be with their families, believing the lies about goodness and virtues, not run around the wasteland with scars and cuts. His gaze lingered a bit on the fresh wound near her hairline, wondering what to tell this unusual girl.

Grabbing another two bottles, he handed her one.

"Fine.. The NCR wants too much, too quickly. We're spread far too thin to keep everybody in line and stop the Legion, at the same time, Our supply caravans keep getting robbed, our people are mistrusted by the locals, and the Legion.. They are.. skilled at breaking the soldier's morale. Most of the men I served with always keep a spare bullet on them. Anything to avoid torture and crucifixion. But the NCR is safe. We keep our people safe. But our military costs taxes and people don't like parting with their money. I understand why people mistrust us, why they hate us even, but I honestly don't see any..."

The Lieutenant stopped abruptly and stared at his beer, then at the girl suspiciously.  
Had to bottles loosened his tongue that much? Or was it this girl, who asked good questions, ones that he could never discuss subordinates?  
He threw a long look at Sian, who was still smiling sweetly.  
Oh well, what harm could she do?

"You said, you had business in Primm, Miss? I'd love to help you, but I can't sacrifice my men. I'm sorry."

Sian mulled this over, weighing her options. The decision was already made, really..

"Look, Hayes, how about I give it a try? No, hear me out. I try to take them out tonight, in the cover of darkness. That way, with me being a civilian who just didn't listen to you, you didn't defy orders. And if I get rid of them, we might be able to rally some people help with the prison."

Hayes looked upset.

"I don't want to send you to slaughter, kid. What makes you think you can kill them all?"

"Well," she started, a little cocky as always, "I think myself, skilled at long range combat. Give me a suppressor for a Varmint Rifle and ignore any gun shots you hear until sunrise. Oh, and I need another small favour."

Sian smiled as she took Aurelio out of her bag and set him on the table. Hayes recoiled in shock, recognizing just what sat there. Sian just laughed.

"Don't worry, Lieutenant. He's just a puppy. I found him last night and he doesn't do very much yet except eat and sleep. But I can't take him with me, he could catch a bullet or such. Please, Hayes, I'll clear the city for you, just keep my little Aurelio save," when Hayes sent her an incredulous look, she waved it off, "I read it in a book and a doctor, a Follower I believe, told me it means 'the golden one'. If you look at this little bugger in the sunlight, you'll see why it fits. So, will you keep him here while I'm gone? Like I said, he's far to small to do anything and his poison glands aren't even fully functional yet."

Aurelio had traipsed over the table, emphasizing his injured leg, and sniffed the man's hand. He gave out an indignant little yip, and butted his head against it until the man started petting him.

"Fine, fine. I appreciate the help. You have till sunrise, then we come and get you. I'll equip you with a better Rifle, with a scope and Silencer, and I'll taker care of your little mutant here.."

Sian had no idea how she managed that, but she didn't care, either way.  
 _Time to milk the man for what it's worth._

"Tell me Hayes," Sian addressed the soldier with wide eyes and a wider smile, "Do you have some food around here? We have some time to kill, after all."

The Lieutenant smiled and gathered some food and two Nukacolas. They sat and chatted until the blood red sky signalled, it was time for her to gear up.


	6. Chapter 5

SVP Chapter 5

When night started to fall, Sian was in Lieutenant Hayes tent, getting ready.  
He had brought her a Varmint rifle with night-vision scope and suppressor, which was currently lying on the table.

Hayes watched her, torn between hoping she was exactly what they needed and cursing himself for letting her do this.

She was so young, he felt like he was leading a lamb to slaughter.  
But as the Lieutenant observed her, something about her precise movements made him feel more confident. She geared up like his soldiers did, sans the defeated look in her eyes.

Apparently this wasn't the first time she prepared for battle. An unsettling thought about a girl as young and friendly as she was..

Sian rummaged through her bag, withdrawing a box of ammo for her .45 and stuffed it in her pocket. The combat knife was still in her boot, the gun in its holster on her waist and the machete on her back.  
Hayes had offered her recon armour, but somehow Sian couldn't bring herself to put it on.  
Having the bear on the breast plate just felt wrong.  
She had her own leather jacket, padded enough to give some protection.  
She had no idea were it came from, and it was patched many times, showed the signs of many fights she didn't remember. They gave her confidence though, these trophies of her toughness.

When the night around them was pitch-black, she pulled her hair into a ponytail, listening to Hayes telling her that the bridge was rigged with mines.

"Well then," she gave him a devilish smirk, "Sit back and watch the Fireworks, Lieutenant."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sian was crouched low in the upper story of a ruined building. The bridge hadn't been that difficult to traverse. She had stepped closer, carefully, to determine the radius she had before the explosives went off.  
To her utter confusion, she got close enough to disarm the mines. She was even more confused by the fact, that her hands apparently worked on their own accord.  
Once again, an oft thought question drifted through her mind.

 _What the hell did I used to do for a living?_

Slowly Sian pulled her new rifle from her back and swept the area. Three people were close enough to create the diversion she needed. Sian stayed down, motionless, and watched the patterns they walked. The girl utilized a patience she didn't even know she had, but the men needed to be close together.  
There! They had meet in the middle to speak.

 **Ssit. Ssit. Ssit.**

Three headshots. Three Powder fucks down. Sian felt awesome but kept a low profile, just waiting, surely more were going to show up soon.

And she was right. Not ten minutes later, someone showed on the old broken rollercoaster tracks. She took aim and the man dropped a few seconds later.  
Out of the corner of her eyes, the silent assassin caught a guy slamming shut the front doors of the Hotel.

 _Okay then.. Front doors are out.. But every hotel has to have a back door._

Sian snuck towards the back of the complex, dispatching thugs whenever she saw them.  
Overhead on the second floor, she saw a landing and a door.

 _Jackpot! Now, how to get up there... The rollercoaster seems to.. Aw frak, that thing's rickety as all hell.._

She decided to brave it none the less. It was the only option and she had to get in there, somehow. The wooden construction surprised her with being a lot more stable than it looked. It creaked a bit here and there, but didn't sway. At least not much...

She reached the door and ventured inside the building cautiously. She peered around a corner and spotted a gaggle of escaped convicts. Silencer screwed onto her .45, Sian took a deep breath, swung herself around the corner and fired.  
The ragged men were dead or dying before one of them really understood what was going on. The girl looked down on them with cold malice. Killing the survivors with her blade, she felt a spark of.. contentment, maybe.. She didn't know, nor did she really care. Seeing these worthless human beings... Seeing the light leave their eyes made her happy. And that scared her.

 _Shut up, Sian! You still have a whole basement to go through, keep it together, girl!_

 _Just think about this later. For now, just give in..._

The young girl was tempted to loot the whole building, but stopped herself. First she'd get rid of the freaks downstairs. Checking her Pipboy, Sian noted she still had about six hours before Lieutenant Hayes sent the cavalry after her. She wanted this done soon.

She came to a stairway, reloading her gun. People could be heard beyond and Sian cursed. The voices sounded far apart, some closer, some further away. Still grumbling under her breath, she took the gun in her left and pulled the machete with her right. This was not going to be easy..

Sian barged through the door, yelling and shooting. Startling her opponents seemed like the best bet in the current situation. And it actually worked. The first few men went down without much of a struggle and the exhilaration of killing returned to her, until a bullet found a way in her shoulder.  
It burned, but it wasn't anything that would stop her. A door to her right looked good for a temporary escape plan and she charged at it with her uninjured shoulder.

It gave way and just around the corner, she was locked in close combat with a filthy man.

The smell made her recoil slightly, but she didn't falter. Jumping back two paces, she executed an upward strike into the vile creature's stomach, the tip of her blade exiting through his back.  
The warm blood gushing over her hand made her stomach leap. The beast was clawing at her insides again, demanding to be let loose.  
She still heard the thugs shouting trying to find her. The dark clad woman stealthily slipped into kitchen and saw a man kneeling behind the counter, hands bound.  
She was about to lay a finger on her lips when the stupid blonde shithead yelled!

Sian stiffened when she hear a crackling behind her..  
She couldn't place the sound, but her brain and even the bloodthirsty beast inside her yelled to get out of the way.

She rolled sideways in the nick of time. She had already felt the heat on her and now, as she looked where that idiot had been sitting, she saw him engulfed in flames. The Powder Fuck's leader had a fucking flamethrower!  
The smell of the burning flesh sent her over the edge and, the beast finally free, the blue haired girl flew over the counter top, the black machete in her hands poised in a downward angle.  
Sian drove the point of her blade into the leader's skull and she buried the blade up to the hilt.  
She flew into a frenzy now and the three remaining men ran, never standing a chance against her newly awakened blood lust.

When the killing was done, she sat for a while, waiting for the adrenaline to wear off a bit.  
It was around 3 in the morning and she still had a hotel to loot.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Working herself from top to bottom, she found some guns and ammo. The Powder Gangers had almost nothing of use on them. The occasional stimpack, a few random bullets.  
Some had food or water, but Sian almost retched when she at the thought of taking anything edible off a filthy corpse.  
It wasn't until the ground floor, that she really found anything of value.  
The girl found a safe in the gift shop. She had no idea how to open it, but a safe meant valuables.

Finding a screwdriver and bobby pins, she decided to let her instincts take over again. To her surprise, she sucked at picking locks. This realization made her inexplicably happy.

Her slender finger eased the second pin into lock and, working carefully, she'd found one thing this old Sian wasn't good at. This was a skill that the new girl could master, with all the failing and learning that came with it.  
It took half an hour and 12 pins until she heard the **click** that signalled the opened lock.

She took everything out. Some pre-war money, a book titled "Tales of a Junktown Jerky vendor" -weird title, but it was a book. That was good enough for Sian- an then a gun.  
Sian didn't like revolvers too much, but this one was special. A sleek black metal with gold etchings and an ivory handle. A little plague on the barrel showed this was 'Lucky'.

 _Huh, might hold on to this one... Little luck never goes amiss.  
Now, head back over, still have an hour before sunrise, but someone should dig that bullet out of my shoulder, that's starting to actually hurt. Just wanna see if that one guy has anything of value._

She made her way back to the kitchens. Looking at the charred corpse, Sian felt nothing.  
His yelling almost got her barbecued, tough luck that she was faster.

She looked him over and found a holotape on him.

She placed it in her Pipboy and listened.

 _And THIS guy was the law around here?! I did these people a freaking favour!_

 _Mindless drivel, more mindless drivel, mor- Wait, checkered suit?!  
-_

 _She and the man locked eyes. Time seemed to stand still._

" _Thruth is... The game was rigged from the start."_

 _-  
Okay, this does it. I'm finding this prick! Maybe he knows who I was..._

 _XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

Sian was deep in thought as she crossed the bridge just before sunrise. She didn't even notice Hayes running towards her from the other side.

"Oh thank God! I wasn't gonna wait more than five minutes to come get you! You took your sweet time, did- Your shoulder! Come on," He sighed at her, took her uninjured arm and let her towards his tent, "I'll get one of my men to get that looked at and then you need food and sleep. Sian, you really are something else, you know."

The girl smiled and allowed herself to be led towards the tents. The LT was a nice guy and it was a great feeling that someone cared about her wellbeing. She felt like she should be more withdrawn and suspicious of people, but, what the hell, she would just enjoy these situations as they came along. And it had been a long night, she was shot, had almost been set on fire, and had created a real massacre. She deserved some down time with someone fussing over her.  
Still grinning, Sian turned her face to the man next to her.

"Let me get some rest first, then I'll tell you all about it, deal?"


	7. Chapter 6

Si vis pacem chapter 6

Sian was retelling her little adventure while the camp's designated medic dug the bullet out of her shoulder. After downing half a bottle of whiskey, the girl didn't even feel the tongs digging around in the wound.

Lieutenant Hayes had badgered her into giving him a sitrep and Sian had complied, simply to shut him up. By the time she finished the story and the bottle, it seemed like every soldier, not on guard, had crowded around the tent entrance to listen to the girl.

"Well, missy.. I wasn't sure how well you'd do, but I have to say, I'm very impressed. If you ever wanna enlist, tell me. I call dib's on having you in my unit." Hayes' eyes had lit up as he watched the young warrior before him. She hadn't moved a muscle during the whole procedure and had spoken quite emotionlessly. This Sian was the perfect soldier. But the Lt also saw that her eyes were red-rimmed and that she was suppressing a yawn every now and then. He ordered his men back to their stations and practically forced Sian to lay down on his cot and sleep. It was morning already, but the girl needed to rest.

After minimal protest, Sian slunk over to the cot and collapsed onto it. Aurelio came to snuggle up to his mistress, and the alcohol, as well as the exhaustion of the night caught up with the small woman.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sian slept for a few hours and awoke shortly after 2 PM. She groaned a bit, her sleep once again had been restless because of her nightmares, but seeing as no one had shaken her awake, apparently she'd suffered through them in silence. She found Hayes, got some food into her and then ventured into Primm to talk with the residents there. The first place she wanted to check out, was the Mojave Express office. Maybe they could tell her something about her botched delivery.

Johnson and Ruby Nash had heard that the Powder Ganger threat had been dealt with. The NCR troopers had come sometime in the morning to tell the residents that they could safely return to their homes. And from what they'd understood, the young girl who'd just walked in through the door was the cause of that. While she looked around, Ruby ran to her and pulled the girl into a smothering embrace. Sian stiffened, but kept herself from lashing out at the older woman.

"Oh, my sweet girl. Thank you for getting rid of these lowlifes for us. When the troopers told us some kid cleared out the Bison Steve, we couldn't believe it, but we saw the result with our own eyes. You did well, honey." Ruby was holding the girl at an arms length, examining her and talking at the speed of light. Sian didn't know how to react and looked to the man at the counter, hoping for some kind of help from him.

"Ruby, let the poor girl go, before y'break her shoulder. Name's Johnson, Johnson Nash. And the crazy person holding ya is my wife Ruby. Can't thank ya enough for clearin the trash from our home. Now, what can I do ya for?"

Sian freed herself from Ruby's iron grip and rummaged through her bag for the delivery note.

"You run the Mojave Express, right? I was a courier for the Express but I got jumped, and my delivery's been stolen. Can you tell me something about the job?"

Johnson took the slip from her and studied it carefully. He grumbled a bit, then flipped through a registry.

"I remember this one. A strange request from the start. This robot cowboy comes in here and hires a bunch of couriers to haul some junk clear across the desert. We had this one guy pegged for your delivery, you were only meant as a backup, y'know, but he comes in here, takes a look at the list and tells me he ain't doin the job. Looks me straight in the eye an says:' Let courier six do it.' Strange fella', gave up a lot of caps. I can't tell ya much more though, sorry girlie."

Sian felt a bit disappointed, but not too much. The robot Johnson was talking about had to be Victor, the securitron who had dug her out of the shallow grave. The girl hadn't talked to him much, finding the cheery disposition a mite unsettling, but she knew where to find him if her chase for the suited man went south. Sian looked at the small round robot lying on the counter. It looked broken, but the exterior seemed intact.

"Hey, Johnson.. You mind if I take a look at your buddy here? Maybe I can fix him up for you?" Sian was already prodding the little robot, not waiting for an answer.

"Hell, if y'can fix that thing up, it's all yours. Been thinking 'bout hauling that thing to the scrap yard, but y'know, old bones and all..."

Sian climbed onto a bar stool and started opening the metal casing. Just as she thought, the exterior was a bit banged up, but the real problem was the electronics inside. The girl once again let her instincts take over and she was pretty sure she could fix the wires. She just had to circumvent the broken parts. Asking for, and receiving some wires, Sian set to work. It took over an hour, in which she thought numerous times that the thing would blow up on her, but when she closed the hatch and powered the little robot up with shaking fingers, he simply beeped and shot upward, hovering a foot over the counter.

"Well, whaddaya know.. You actually did it. It's yours now, like I promised."

Sian smiled happily as she listened to the log playing from the metal orb, and when it finished, she started the companion protocol.

The Nash's invited Sian to eat something with them, and while the girl's mouth was being burned away by radscorpion stew from hell, the elderly couple and her talked about the lack of law in town. Sian shared their opinion that the NCR probably wasn't the best option, seeing how inefficient they'd been during the powder ganger situation. Not to mention, they still hadn't been able to retake their prison. Johnson told her about a man named Meyers, currently an inmate in the NCR correctional facility. Sian mulled over this information and thought that a hardened, experienced sheriff would be exactly what this town needed.

"You know, Hayes' owes me a favor.. I might be able to convince him, that retaking the prison by force is the right course of action. I'll go talk to him."

Sian said her goodbyes and was happy to escape Ruby's concoction of liquid fire. She marched over to the small camp and, once again, found the lieutenant in his tent.

"Hayes! I have a proposition for you."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She sat him down at the table and somehow managed to convince the man, that retaking the NCRCF was a good idea. It took awhile, but finally he called for sergeant Lee, so the three of them could plan a covert mission to take out the powder ganger's leader and also, how to wrangle a pardon for Meyers out of the NCR.

Waiting for the cover of darkness, Sian and the sergeant had told the little group of soldiers the plan.

They would get to a ridge overlooking the prison, take out the guards in the watchtowers first. Then came the ones' patrolling the yard. Inside the buildings would be harder, but still they expected to make it through, with minimal loss of life. At least Sian hoped that. She didn't have a good first impression of NCR, but these people had been nice to her and she didn't want any of them to die. The first phase of the plan went without hitch. The silenced rifles raised no suspicion and the tower guards fell inward instead of over the railing. Sian herself got the man guarding the entrance, a clean shot to the throat. Inside however..

Close combat was always messier than ranged, especially since none of the soldier boys' had any melee skills. More than once she had to dodge a bullet from behind.

 _Should have fucking gone alone... I'll end up dead, if I don't watch out. Stupid children!_

When the slaughter in the small room ceased, Sian was approached by a man who introduced himself as Meyers. She quickly found out that he'd been imprisoned for taking the law into his own hands, something the girl could empathize with.

"Listen, head towards Primm and go talk to Johnson Nash. He'll set you up with a place to sleep for now. I'm headed to the Outpost after this and I'm pretty sure I'll get that pardon for you."

Sian and sergeant Lee took point and, with their small team, swept the cell blocks and eliminated all the threats. They did find some interesting loot, though. The last building left, had to be where the ring leader of this little gang of fuckups was currently hiding out.

One of the younger soldiers with them, pulled a flash bang out of his pocket, eased out the pin and lobbed it through the door, which was hastily slammed shut by another trooper. When they heard it go off, count to three, they stormed in, using the confusion to their advantage. And while Sian preferred stealth, she couldn't help but enjoy cutting through the confused enemies. Beside her, the young man who'd thrown the light grenade was laughing joyously, clearly thrilled that his maneuver had such an effect. His happiness was contagious, really, and Sian laughed along with him.

Then the leader showed up, followed by his bodyguards. They were a lot more battle skilled and though as nails. The laughing boy next to her went down with a shout and Sian snarled like an animal. She had kept the beast under control all this time, but now, all reason abandoned her. Looking positively feral, the girl launched herself at the oncoming men with her machete. They backed away at her wildness, and through some kind of miracle, Sian hardly even got hurt. One guy with brass knuckles and an impressive Mohawk managed to land a blow to her ribs, but his cocky grin slid off his face when she didn't miss a beat, her blade driving through his throat.

It took some time, but soon every powder ganger lay dead upon the ground, along with their boss. Sian didn't care as for now. She walked back to where the soldier had fallen. His eyes were dead, but he still had a faint smile etched on his face. Sian didn't know what to say or do. This was a battle, casualties were to be expected. The rational part of her brain told her, this boy just hadn't been strong enough, but she still felt her eyes prick. He'd been so happy, that he had helped. So eager to fight. Without thinking, she grabbed the shawl covering half his face. She'd keep it, and she'd remember him, remember that battle meant, people die. And that sometimes, these people were on your side.

She shook herself and stood, joining the other soldiers in looting the building. The only thing of value to her was the book she found, Lying - Congressional Style, and some ammunition and caps. She also grabbed a pair of sunglasses, that looked to be in pretty good shape.

On the way back, they all were silent. Carrying their fallen comrade demanded for respectful silence, and Sian felt incredibly guilty. She'd suggested they take the prison, she'd led them there and it was her fault that a man was now dead. Sergeant Lee shot her a few glances, but didn't try to speak to her. When they'd reached the camp, she desperately wanted to hide herself away. But Lee pulled her to Hayes' tent, and with help of the lieutenant, explained to her that the outcome was not her fault.

"Nobody blames you for Cooper's death," Hayes told her gently. "The boy enlisted, knowing full well this could happen. I hate it just as much, but every fight demands casualties. And we retook the prison. Lee said, you guys wiped out the remaining convicts. That's a big thing. They'll stop harassing the town now and travelers are safer again. You did exceptionally well. And now, you need sleep. Come."

He led her over to his cot again, not listening to her protest. He'd take a bedroll on the floor for the night. Sian felt tired and her ribs hurt, but sleep didn't come to her for hours.


	8. Chapter 7

Si vis pacem chapter 7

Sian had dozed off sometime during the night and awoke shortly after the sun had risen. Aurelio was already up and seemingly had a lot of fun in annoying Hayes, who was only just waking up. She couldn't help but laugh at the sight of her puppy head-butting the Lt, who simply groaned in response.

"Instead of laughing at me, you could get that thing away.." His voice was raspy from sleep, as he pushed himself off the ground. The man stretched, turned towards the young girl and nearly choked on a yawn. Sian was standing, her shirt pulled up to completely expose waist and stomach, up to her chest. He was so perplexed by her apparent obliviousness, it took him a moment to notice the skull sized bruise on her rib cage that she was examining. Hayes sighed and grabbed a first aid kit and sat on a chair.

"Come over here. Those need to be at least bandaged," Sian did as she was told and he started to tap on her ribs to see if any were broken. Finding no fractures, he administered a stimpack and started to tightly wrap bandages around her small frame.

"You really have to be careful, pulling your shirt up like that. Guys out there might see that as an invitation. You can't go around doing stuff like that, you hear?"

Sian just stared down at him. She hadn't really thought about what she was doing. And he didn't seem to see it as an invitation...

"Well, if it's really that big of a deal, I'll remember not to do that anymore. I just.. I didn't think anything of it."

Her blue grayish eyes were wide and innocent, betraying how young she really was, and Hayes had to suppress another sigh.

"That's the whole problem.. Just remember what I said. No pulling your clothes up around people, got it?"

Sian smiled and nodded. She grabbed her gear and thanked Hayes for everything, the food, shelter and medical aid he'd given to a stranger. He just waved it off, stuffed some bottles of water and some food into her bag and gave her a letter he'd written the night before.

"Give this to Major Knight at Mojave outpost. It's a request for the pardon. You might need some talking to convince him, but we both know that you can do that," he smirked down at her and she replied in kind.

"Don't be a stranger, you hear? Come by when you're in the vicinity, let us know how you're doing."

"Will do, Lt. Try and not get overrun out here. I think Meyers will be a big help to you. Good luck, Hayes. See you around."

Sian didn't feel like drawing this out. She left the tent without looking back, stopping only shortly in Primm for ammunition and to pick up Eddie who she'd left to power up completely. She was on the road soon, the robot hovering alongside her and Aurelio running a few paces ahead.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She thought about Hayes' warning. It made sense, of course, and she'd heed his words from here on out, but it had never, not for a second, occurred to her that she was maybe sending the wrong message. She'd have to be careful, never again not think about the consequences of her actions. Somehow, she suspected the old Sian had known this, and she felt angry that she'd forgotten something so basic.

Around midday, after clearing a little station house of raiders, the girl decided a short break was in order. Her ribs hurt again and she was hungry. Digging into some packed squirrel stew and a NukaCola she'd found, Sian just thought about what she'd learned about the New California Republic in the last few days. Individually, the soldiers she had met had all been friendly to her. One or two had given her weird glances, that had made her shiver, but neither had approached her. But in everyone of that camp, she'd seen the tiredness. They were all sick of being stationed in some shitty little wasteland town, she was sure of it. The NCR was done for, if all their soldiers were as jaded and weary as the ones' she had met in Primm. She absentmindedly dug through her bag for a pouch of healing powder when her fingers caught on a chain.

Intrigued, she pulled the bag closer, and found a concealed little pocket with a golden chain having slipped out a bit. She withdrew it and held the cap sized pendant before her eyes. It was golden, but looked slightly weathered. On its face there was an etching of a man's head. He was wearing a winged cap and looked.. regal, somehow.. Turning it over, she noticed the reverse side was plain, but someone had crudely etched the number six into it. She was courier six. Had she done this? Sian slipped the fine chain around her neck and let the pendant rest on her chest. It felt familiar, she was sure this belonged to her. But it looked expensive and the girl decided to wear it underneath her shirt. What people couldn't see, they wouldn't be tempted to steal. Also, it had been hidden in her bag. It must have been meant to be kept a secret. She lay her hand on the pendant and could feel its shape through the thin fabric of her shirt. It gave her a boost, made her feel stronger. She liked that. Why had she even taken it off in the first place?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She finally made it to the freaking outpost at around 6 PM. She would have been there sooner but the damn underpass was overrun with giant ants. They weren't difficult to dispose of, her taking on the nearest and Eddie firing at the ones' further away. It was still annoying as all hell and she was ragged and dirty when she made it up the hill.

 _Find Major Knight. Get food. Find bed.. God, this day sucked..._

Sian stepped through the doors of the HQ and came pretty much face to face with the Major. It took very little talking on her side to get him to grant the pardon and send it over to Primm, which she was very thankful for. On a whim, Sian asked if they needed any work done and was referred to Ranger Jackson. When he'd told her to clear the underpass from critters, the girl laughed so hard she almost forgot to breathe.

"What the hell is so goddamn funny? The job beneath you somehow?" Jackson sounded pissed and Sian struggled to get words out beneath her laughter.

"No.. No, I'm sorry.. It's just, I already took care of them on the way here. Sorry, I didn't mean to sound disrespectful, these bugs just jumped me outta nowhere and I cleared them out pretty easily. You guys could've done it in a few minutes."

Jackson still looked a bit miffed, but he had a problem less and you hardly ever heard anyone laugh up here anymore.

"Yeah, we could've cleared them out, but we're under strict orders to not leave the Outpost. I don't like it either, but that's the way it is. Anyways, I had planned to give the person to clear it out some lost supplies. A service rifle, some caps and food.."

Sian contemplated what he'd said. The NCR couldn't even take care of some bugs because that would mean two freaking soldiers being away from base for less than an hour... Geez, they sounded better and better all the time... The supplies were tempting though.

"Keep the service rifle, I like my varmint rifle better, it's stealthier. But some food and medical supplies would be much appreciated. If you have any to spare.." Jackson didn't quite smile at the girl, but his mustache crinkled amused. He ended up giving her a first aid kid, some MRE's and a pouch of caps. The kid seemed exhausted, so he sent her off to the barracks and she made her way over immediately.

In the small bar, she noticed a redhead drinking at the bar, currently spouting out profanities to a soldier. Sian sneered at her in disgust. Drinking was just fine, but this behavior was vile. She sunk down into an empty cot and was fast asleep before her head hit the pillow.

Sian got up with the sun, as usual, and got herself some breakfast at the bar. The drunk woman from last night was passed out at the bar and Sian ignored her. The barkeep mentioned a Ranger Ghost and the blue haired girl decided to climb the ramp up to the roof to speak with her. After a short conversation with a woman even paler than herself, Sian was on her way east. Apparently there was trouble in Nipton...


	9. Chapter 8

Si vis pacem chapter 8

Sian had walked into the steadily rising sun half the morning, keeping her eyes on the barely visible pillars of smoke over her destination. Every step closer got her more excited, more apprehensive about what she would find in the town of Nipton. She was halfway there before anything of interest happened. She heard gunshots erupt from the ruined building on the side of the road and saw raiders shooting down two wastelanders. She didn't care for the travelers, but she hated raider trash and the anticipation of what the day would bring made her frisky and trigger-happy. She and Eddie made short work of the scum, while Aurelio stayed nestled safely in her bag. After she'd looted anything of value, including some weird bottle caps with stars on them, Sian pulled Cooper's shawl up to cover half her face and pulled the mirrored aviators on, then with her goal in her sights, she pressed onward to Nipton.

How he hated crucifixions.. Everytime he had someone flogged and then lashed onto the cross, every muscle in his back cramped up painfully. He hated being able to empathize with this vermin, but he couldn't help it. His hand found the small amulet around his neck, a golden pendant with a fox carved into it. Whenever he encountered some part of his work that he couldn't just shrug off, the familiar shape would help him focus. It had been a gift upon his being made Decanus and belonged to his most treasured possessions. Suppressing the shiver the crosses sent up his spine, he turned his head away and instead opted to watch the corpse of Mayor Steyn slowly disintegrating in the flames. That man was disgusting, a prime example of why the town had met this fate. He had been willing to sell out the town's patrons and now had experienced how the Legion felt about disloyalty.

Vulpes Inculta stood underneath the scorching midday sun, not at all fazed by its glare. He surveyed the fruits of his labor with a smug smile. Another lesson taught in the name of the great Caesar. It had taken an entire night and half a day, but every living soul in this scarlet town had felt the Legion's justice. Turning this into a lottery had been an excellent idea, much more entertaining than mindless slaughter. He had shown these people just how greedy and selfish they'd been, and then seen their eyes when they realized that they would die next. It was this pleasure in his work, that lead even fellow legionaries to fear him.

He was about to order his men to pack up when something at the end of the road caught his attention. A young woman came walking up to him, seemingly not at all bothered by the dead and dying around her. A little robot bobbed through the air just behind her. Vulpes watched her from the top of the town hall stairs. Something about her seemed a little off.. Her walk almost reminded him of someone and very few people were that small. He examined the girl as she drew closer to him and his men, no fear apparent. She had hair in a shade of blue that he had never seen before, and it was very long, hung halfway down her back. He saw almost nothing of her face, the girl was wearing sunglasses and a shawl was covering her face, against the sand presumably. She packed quite a few weapons, walked with courage and her movements were nearly feline. The fox found himself staring at her, and shook himself out of his reverie. This woman could not have come at a more opportune moment, with the wound he had slashed into the Mojave still fresh and bleeding. Keeping his face completely impassive, he started walking down the steps, approaching the town square where she had stopped, simply looking at him.

Approaching the smoldering town, Sian screwed the silencer onto her .45. She didn't really know why, but it seemed like the right thing to do. And when a insane looking man startled her because came running towards her, screaming, she reacted upon instinct and pulled the trigger. He crumpled to the ground and Sian carefully ventured further into town.

The air was filled with the sickening, sweet smell of burnt flesh, fresh blood and fear. It made her stomach turn and her body tremble in anticipation. Walking up to the biggest building, she took note of the crucified that seamed the road and she felt her stomach lurch. The sight of the men lashed to the crosses sent waves of fear washing through her all of a sudden but she pushed the unsettling sensation away. She had noticed some men at the end of the road and seeming unfazed by the carnage became imperative. She holstered her weapon, so as not to appear hostile and continued walking towards them.

Sian came to a halt on the little open patch before the building and watched the man descending the steps to meet her. His apparel seemed outlandish, a leather skirt and.. football gear.. It should appear hilarious, but it came together very well and empathized his tall, sinewy build. He was wearing a coyote head dress and large, black goggles obscured his eyes. What she could see of his face was all pale skin, sharp angles and a determined expression. The way he held himself showed a certain authority and Sian assumed that he was the leader of this little group. When he was only two feet away from her, he stopped and stared down at her for a few seconds.

"Do not worry, I will not have you lashed to a cross like the rest of the degenerates. It is useful that you happened by here." He spoke with a cold drawl, raising the hairs on the back of Sian's neck. She'd have to be very careful around him. This man was dangerous in a way she had not yet experienced. For now, the girl kept silent as he continued.

"I want you to witness the fate of the town of Nipton, to memorize every detail. And then, when you move on? I want you to teach everyone you meet the lesson that Caesar's Legion taught here, especially any NCR troops you tun across."

"All I see, is a massacre. What was the lesson that you planned to teach here? Why wipe out an entire town?" Sian's voice was even, not a drawl like his, but betraying no emotion nonetheless.

Vulpes faltered for a second. He couldn't tell why, but something about this girl was unsettling. Maybe that she didn't seem to be afraid of him? He forced all his thoughts back to the topic at hand.

"Where to begin? That they are weak, and we are strong? This much was known already. But the depths of their moral sickness, their dissolution? Nipton serves as the perfect object lesson," he spread his arms, motioning to the destruction around him.

"Nipton was a wicked place, debase and corrupt. It served all comers so long as they paid. Profligate troops, powder gangers, men of the legion such as myself - the people here didn't care. It was a town of whores..." Sian noted his voice was now tinged with something, pride, maybe, at what he'd done here. She found herself listening with rapt attention. This was the first time she heard how the legion felt about the situation in the wasteland and it was the chance she had waited for.

"For a pittance, the town agreed to lead those it sheltered into a trap. Only when I sprang it did they realize they were caught inside it, too."

The girl crossed her arms, and looked around her. Vulpes noted that neither the burning bodies, nor the heads on the pikes seemed to bother her, but never once did her gaze land on the crucified.

"So, because you wanted to make an example of them, you killed them all.. How?" she asked, facing him again.

"My men herded them to the center of town, right where we now stand. I told them their sins, the foremost being disloyalty. I told them that when Legionaries are disloyal some are punished, others made to watch. And then I announced the lottery." The man allowed a wicked smile to creep over his face. "Each clutched his ticket, hoping it would set him free. Each did nothing, even when 'loved ones' were dragged away to be killed."

The blue haired girl noticed how derisive he spoke of loved ones. If what he said was true, then these people had deserved what they had gotten. Being too cowardly to save someone they loved.. It was the pinnacle of disloyalty. She thought about what he'd said. The Legion's punishment wasn't pretty, but it was impressive in its own way. She pulled down her shawl to her chin.

"The Legion's justice has a definite purity. I admire the message it sends."

"It has a stark beauty, doesn't it? I'm glad you can appreciate it. Now go, and teach them what you learned here. There will be more lessons in the days ahead." Vulpes turned to leave, when she called for him unexpectedly. He faced her again, gazing at her with carefully veiled confusion.

"I will do as you ask, if...," she could hardly believe that she was doing this. No matter that she agreed with their actions here, it didn't mean that these men weren't dangerous. But she had a gut feeling that he wouldn't harm her. "...if you do something for me first."

Vulpes was floored. This was new... He occasionally spared someone to spread the word of his atrocities, but they usually scrambled to get away from him. She had the audacity to demand something of him, seemed not to realize how lucky she was to be alive. He growled at her. Calling him out like that in front of his men, simply assuming that she was in a position to make demands, challenged his authority. Every other woman, he would have put in her place, but something about this one's voice stopped him. Somehow, he enjoyed her differentness. If he were alone right know, he might let his baser instincts take the lead, but instead he just decided to make her uncomfortable. After all, she still had a message to convey for him...

He came closer to the girl, who was at least a foot shorter than him and she didn't back away, even when he was only inches from her. She just stood her ground, the ghost of a smirk on her face. Feisty little minx..

"And what might I do for you?" He purred at her and smiled eerily when she couldn't suppress a shiver and her head twitched away a bit. But when the girl looked up at him, her face was set, her expression the slightest bit amused. It suddenly bothered him that he couldn't see her eyes. He had trouble reading this woman. The proximity between them served to make him uneasy as well, for reasons he didn't understand. There was something about her that exuded power, authority even.

"I want answers. I have been told many things about the Legion, mainly not to get within three feet of a legionary. But I want to hear the other side. I want to know what the Legion is, what values you stand behind and what plans you have for the Mojave. I want to know, which side is the right one to support."

Vulpes Inculta prided himself in being a master of words, capable of finding an answer to everything. But now, he was speechless. This was absolutely the last thing he had expected her to say. And, to be honest, it was the first time he ever heard any wastelander wanting to learn about the legion. But he didn't have the time to spare to give her a lesson, a taste of the Legion, even though he very much wanted to. He waved for one of his men, a young recruit who had stood at a respectful distance with the others. He addressed the unusual girl again.

"Where are you headed now?"

"Novac."

Sian watched as the man turned to his recruit and addressed him in Latin, making sure her face didn't betray that she understood them. He told the recruit, who looked to be no older than Sian, to get her to her destination safely and then return back to the base camp. And he told the boy to not let his guard down. That if she made any move to attack him, he was to bring her to the camp as well. The man in the dog head faced her, his expression unreadable.

"My recruit will escort you to Novac and answer any questions you might have. This is an exceptional favor I grant you. Don't make me regret it. I bid you vale. Until we met again."

Vulpes walked away without looking back, but he still felt her gaze and her voice echoed inside his head. He'd keep an ear out for news of her. The frumentarii might find use for her in the future.

Sian stood in the ruins of the town, the recruit a few feet away and watched him leave.

 _Until we meet again... Indeed._

His words sparked something in the girl and the back of her neck prickled. Sian didn't know what to make of that man and he scared her as much as he intrigued her. She turned to the young legionary at her side.

"We should get going as well. Novac is quite a ways. I'm Sian, by the way, and you are?"

She smiled at him and the boy couldn't seem to fight down a small smile of his own.

"My name is Syrus. Come on, let's take the hills. Streets are always infested with raider trash."

It was late already, and they would need to find a place to make camp in an hour or two. Sian and her new companion climbed the rather steep hills in silence for a while, both keeping a close eye on the surroundings. There would be time to talk later and Sian was still preoccupied with Nipton, the man she'd met and the things that had been revealed. There was something about him that wouldn't let her go, something nagging at the back of her mind that she couldn't place. Strangely, despite how uneasy he had made her, and how dangerous he probably was, she looked forward to seeing him again. Sian always enjoyed a good riddle.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It had grown dark and Sian and her legion companion had found a sheltered ridge to spend the night. It wasn't wise to wander the wastes in the darkness unless you had to. Syrus had built a small fire, just enough to heat up some food and Sian was currently warming the rest of the squirrel stew and some gecko kebab. She pulled out her last two bottles of Sunset Sarsaparilla and passed one to Syrus. When the food was warmed, Sian handed him a plate and the nightstalker pup poked its head out of her bag. Syrus recoiled slightly, he hadn't seen the puppy yet, the little mutant having slept the entire time.

" Why the hell do you have that thing with you? It's dangerous!"

Sian just laughed at him. She grabbed her pet and set it on her lap. The girl started feeding him with dainty fingers.

"Calm down. I found him a couple of days ago. He's still a baby and won't hurt anybody. Ain't that right baby?" She cooed at the puppy a bit, and took some bites of her own.

"Well then, what's his name?"

"Aurelio."

Syrus stared at her, his wide eyes making him look a lot younger.

"That's a Latin name!"

Sian smirked at the boy, a knowing, haughty smirk, her bright blue eyes shining.

He put two and two together immediately. Pointing an accusing finger at her, he exclaimed.

"You speak Latin! You... You understood us!"

Sian threw him a lazy grin and leaned back against a rock behind her.

"Yeah, I did.. Don't plan to attack you, though."

Syrus was still sitting with an open mouth.

"Where the hell did you learn Latin? I thought only we spoke it? Are you.."

The girl sighed.

"Listen, Syrus, I'm gonna level with you. I have no idea where I learned it. I was shot in the head, see," she pulled her hair back to show him the bullet wound. " and thanks to the jackass who tried to kill me, I have no clue about who I used to be. But, hey.. Now I can be who I want to be."

Syrus stared at this unusual girl and started to understand why his boss had sent him to go with her. If she survived being shot in the head, she had to be tough as no one he'd ever met. Those wounds looked to be pretty fresh as well. And the way she had so casually spoken about the slaughter at Nipton, with one of the most feared members of Caesar's Legion. She was definitely something else.

Neither he , nor the rest of the frumentarii, were under the delusion that women were only good as slaves. Sure, they were weaker than men, physically, but one of the first things he'd learned when he was accepted into the esteemed circle of spies and infiltrators, was that women were exceptionally adept at this kind of work. He had been surprised to find how many women Vulpes had supplying him with information. Pillow talk, gossip and female confessions, things that he could never find out. This girl, Sian, she was a sly one, and he'd bet his last denarius that his boss was thinking about recruiting her in. And she wanted to know about the legion.. A sense of pride washed over him. He was the newest of the frumentarii and Vulpes had chosen him to convince this girl that the legion was the side she should be supporting. If they could keep her away from the main force, that should be possible...

"So, tell me. What would you like to know about the Legion? Now that we're not scaling the hillside anymore, we actually should have the air to talk."

Sian looked at the young man across the fire, the flames dancing across her face. Her stare became hard and unyielding. If not for his training, Syrus might have squirmed under that gaze, bright blue like steel in the sunlight..

"Tell me about what the Legion is. What I've seen about your sense of justice, it speaks to me. But I've heard many bad things about the Legion, mainly that you're a band of slaving rapists. I know that there are always two sides to a story. And from what I've seen from the Mojave up to now, I'll have to chose a side eventually.. Why should I side with a faction that sees women as slaves and breeding stock, for I am neither. I am a fighter and that is what I'll always be."

Syrus had hoped that the girl had not yet heard so many bad things about the legion. He sighed and rubbed his face. The man had a fleeting suspicion that Sian would see through any petty lies he could tell, and so he settled on the truth.

"It's not quite like that. Of course we have female slaves, but men can be slaves as well. And where there's slaves and masters, there is always unjust violence. But it's more the exception than the rule. Beating your slaves means they won't be able to work. It's counterproductive, see.. As for breeding stock, I won't deny it, of course there is the fact that some men in the army take what women don't want to give. But again, it's not all of us who do that. Normal legionaries often have children with slaves, and what happens to those children depends on the men who sire them. But back in Arizona we also have free women who have relationships with soldiers. And everyone over the rank of Decanus usually has a wife, most officers do in any case. The Legion doctrine is that a woman is beneath the man and is bound to serve, but not everyone believes that. Us frumentarii, for example, we are infiltrators and we have women helping us. None of these women is weak or worth less in my eyes. But to be completely honest, soldiers in the main force often believe that woman count less than men and tolerate no disrespect or disobedience from them. As for the general opinion of our adversaries... People call us slaving rapists, because that is our way of warfare. It's a way of breaking morale and weakening the enemies resolve."

Sian listened intently. What he said, made her less tense about the thought of being alone with a legionary. And it was what she had suspected all along. After all, she had seen wastelanders and troopers throw her glances that made her uncomfortable. She suspected that, if given the chance, men of every walk of life would take advantage of a situation. As for the way the Legion waged war..

"This kind of warfare has been around since the beginning of mankind. I've read a few history books and all of them tell me the same thing. Nobody ever wants to own up to it, but every army commits these acts." She smiled kindly at Syrus.

"Thank you for your honesty on the Legion's view of women and slavery. Now, with that uncomfortable topic out of the way, tell me about what drives the legion."

"Well," he began with a relieved smile, "We put a lot of value on honor, loyalty and the right of the stronger. Rising through the ranks of the Legion means that you've earned it. There is no corruption like in the army of the profligates. We all serve under the great Caesar, and every man under his command would gladly give his life for the cause. We want to free the Mojave, not burn it down. Our lands in Arizona and New Mexico are safe, the towns are filled with free citizens and we don't tax our subjects into submission. We have no junkies in the streets and the people are grateful for our protection. Our caravans need no guards, because there's no raider filth running amok. Of course we want to expand and we want rid people of their dissolute beliefs, but we don't want to drown the desert in blood."

Sian and Syrus continued talking for a long time, and when the fire started to die down, he told her to rest, he'd take the first watch and wake her in a few hours. Sian, using her bag as a pillow, fell asleep, her thoughts swirling like a maelstrom around everything she had learned about Caesar's Legio


	10. Chapter 9

**AN** : Prinzessin Mia were you hoping for more Vulpes? Yes? In that case, you're welcome :) as for your suggestions/suspicions, I guess you'll have to find out the old fashioned way :D I'll definitely try to update on a regular basis ^^

As for the pardon, it's done... I just assumed they'd radio the answer in xD

And I'll NEVER get tired of people telling me that they appreciate my work 3

Si vis pacem chapter 9

After an very uneventful night, Syrus told Sian what the frumentarii did, and how their training looked like, all the while leading her towards Novac. For the most part Sian would listen, occasionally commenting on an infiltration technique or battle maneuver he was describing. Syrus had been the right choice of escort, as he and Sian got along incredibly well. Her acerbic wit and sarcasm made it increasingly hard for the young frumentarius to keep up the aloof façade that was expected of him...

It broke apart completely when Sian, with a wide grin, plucked a random yucca banana and chucked it at the back of his head. He spun around, and stared at her angrily for a moment. She wasn't impressed however and just laughed at him and that was when the battle proven soldier and the skilled fighter became the children they should have been. He chased after her through the wastes, both of them laughing gleefully. She was a lot faster than Syrus had expected, it was actually challenging to keep up with the shorter girl. Neither of them noticed Eddie starting to play his battle theme.

They had run straight into a raider camp without noticing, but recovered with practiced ease. Syrus unsheathed his gladius, while Sian drew her .45 and a combat knife. They charged into battle, sure they would win.

Syrus tried not to stray too far from the girl, having been told to protect her, after all, but even with the robotic assistance, the raiders proved unexpectedly tough. Out of the corner of his eyes, the boy saw a raider getting Sian in the side with a knife and his vision flashed red. He sprinted towards the trash who'd attacked his charge, driving the blade in his hand through the man's throat. Sian ignored her injury, thinking it not particularly dangerous, and the two of them gained the upper hand, greatly thanks to Eddie. But suddenly, Syrus collapsed next to her. The girl whipped around, blue hair flying, and raised her gun. With a wicked smile, she shot the last raider right between the eyes, splattering herself with his blood. She panted in the sudden silence, her hand pressed against the wound on her side.

"Fuck! Syrus? Are you alright?!"

She flew over to him and knelt beside the legionary. Rolling him onto his back, she saw that his temple was split open but he was still conscious. She looked around and saw the iconic dinosaur, Syrus had told her about. It wasn't far and they could make it. But she couldn't drag a wounded Legion soldier into the small town...

"Okay.. Okay. Syrus, come on. We have to get you outta that skirt."

He groaned, and struggled to sit up, his hands fumbling with the latches on his armor. Meanwhile, Sian ripped some cargos and a shirt of a raider, then helped him strip off the compromising clothes. He was able to dress himself with some assistance and Sian pulled him to his feet, slinging his arm around her shoulder, placing her own around his waist. Syrus was a few inches taller than her, and heavy, but not bulky and she was strengthened by worry. Pulling her companion along, she felt her shirt getting drenched in her own blood. Her wound was deeper than she originally thought and the pain radiated through her entire torso.

Syrus' head felt like it had shattered apart. He could feel the blood spilling from the wound on his temple. He tried not to lean on Sian too much, surely he must be too heavy for her to support, but it became more and more difficult to simply place one foot in front of the other. Syrus desperately tried to push away the blackness on the edges of his mind, but it was no use.

Sian's knees buckled when Syrus fell unconscious and it took every ounce of strength to not fall over. She was almost there, the goddamn lizard was right in front of her. She tried to drag him along but he was far too heavy and Sian felt her grip on him slipping, her side feeling like it was on fire from the strain.

"Hey! We need help! Someone, get out here!"

Two men were attracted by the racket she was making, and she felt the weight being lifted off of her. One of the men scooped her up before she could protest, and she was only semi-conscious when she was carried into a tent.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

When Sian awoke a few hours later, it was dark and she was alone in the tent with Syrus. Her ribs hurt and she felt exhausted. By some kind of bad joke from the universe, that damn raider had gotten her right on the bruise. She slipped off the cot she was laying on and staggered over to the one occupied by her companion. His wound had been stitched up, but he was very pale and he still seemed to be unconscious. Sian examined him closer and found an injection mark on his his arm.

 _Aww, fuck.. Legion doesn't use chems... He'll be out for a day, at least... Got to let his team know, how to do that?_

Sian was thinking hard, trying to remember everything he'd said today. The raid camp he was supposed to return to, it wasn't too far from here he'd told her..

The idea struck her out of nowhere. She saw an old gas station just outside the tent, grabbed her bag and walked over, steps getting surer all the time. She'd leave Eddie to keep watch over Syrus, but Aurelio traipsed out of the tent with her. Sian grabbed a few bottles of turpentine and, after some searching, lucked out and found a lighter. Quiet as a shadow, she took the back road out of town and trekked back to the raider camp. Aurelio was jumping along beside her, the rattling of his tail reassuring in the darkness.

It had taken a lot of strength, determination and quite some time to pile the corpses together on the road. She did her work coldly and efficiently, then sat down and grabbed paper and pen from her bag and sketched out a quick note, without greeting or signature. It only stated what had happened and where Syrus was. Sian gathered up some stones, set them in a circle in the dirt, a few feet away from the meat mountain. The Legion uniform was still where she'd left it, and she laid the folded clothing and armor into the circle. Sian fastened the folded piece of paper to the chest guard and began dousing the corpses with turpentine, making sure to soak the clothing in it. She managed to light it all up, and hoped the human bonfire would catch the attention of the other frumentarii. A quick glance at her PipBoy told Sian it was almost four in the morning. She'd been out here for nearly two hours and she felt more tired than ever before. She only wanted to get back to the tent and sleep.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Syrus should have been back by now... Even if they were dawdling, he should have been back hours ago.

Vulpes had come back to the raid camp after his other business was concluded, just to find out, his newest recruit had apparently messed up somehow. He'd chosen the boy, because he and the mystery girl were about the same age, but clearly, he should have picked someone more experienced. He lay on his back inside his tent, his arms crossed behind head, when one of his men stuck his head in.

"Sir. There's something you should see.. We don't really know what to make of it.."

"I'm coming."

Vulpes groaned and got to his feet. Whatever the hell it was, at 5 AM, it could be nothing good. He stepped out of his tent, and head towards the hill where one of his men stood with a pair of binoculars. Before he made it to the top, the head of the frumentarii already smelt it. The wind was in his face and with it, the faint scent of burnt flesh wafted towards him. What the hell...

He grabbed the binoculars that were held out to him and searched the hillside near Novac. He saw the pile of burning bodies. This was no coincidence, and Vulpes knew he had to get over there. Giving his men some short orders, he went to change into his suit, knowing that he'd come dangerously close to a ranger station. When he was done, he grabbed his .44 and left for Novac. His recruit and the girl could be in trouble and Vulpes made haste, hoping that he'd be able to resolve the issue quickly.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sian couldn't sleep, but she rested until a woman came to her, introducing herself as Dr. Strauss.

The doctor had told her that Syrus had a bad concussion and might be out for a day or two, but would be alright in the long run. Sian herself had a rather deep gash above the waist that had been stitched up and bandaged tightly. While treating the girl, the doctor told her about the fire some ways out of town, speculating about what might have happened and Sian listened with feigned surprise. She had been asleep after all..

Sian asked Dr. Strauss if she knew who had helped them and was told it had been one of her own guards and one of the town's snipers. Having found and thanked the guard, Sian made her way to the motel, in order to find the other man who had helped them. She felt the need to express her relief and gratitude, however foreign that might be for her.

Sian found the right room at the motel and knocked. Nobody opened, but a gruff voice told her to enter and the girl did so hesitantly. The room was dimly lit, empty scotch and whiskey bottles littered most surfaces and a bulky, tired looking man sat at the table, a half eaten steak before him.

"What do you want?" He sounded tired as well, but more.. tired of life, not lack of sleep. Sian pulled off her shades, and came a bit closer. She recognized him now, he'd been the one who carried her to the doctor's.

"I wanted to thank you for helping me and my friend," her eyes fell on a dried bloodstain on the carpet, a bloody knife lying next to it.

"What.. What happened here? Are you okay?"

Sian had no idea what made her ask that. But seeing these things, as well as the evidence of the alcohol abuse... Something bad had happened here.

To her surprise, the man did not yell at her or chuck her out. Instead, he locked eyes with her, sizing her up. He seemed to try and figure out if she was just nosy. Sian kept her gaze open, letting the compassion she felt, show upon her face.

The man gave a long sigh, took a swig of the whiskey before him and started talking quietly.

"You're not from here.. Maybe you can help me. Some time ago, when I was on night shift, the Legion came and took my wife. They knew when to come, knew which route to take, and they only took Carla. Someone here betrayed us."

Sian's stomach lurched. Thank god, she had gotten Syrus out of his uniform. This could've ended very badly...

"So, you're trying to find your wife?"

"My wife is dead. I want the son of a bitch who sold her."

Sian said nothing. He wanted revenge, understandably so. Her face was stoney and her eyes blazed with blue fire.

"What do you need me to do?"

The sniper looked up at her with bloodshot eyes. He hadn't expected her to offer her help so readily, it seemed.

"Find out who betrayed us. Nobody here will look me in the eye anymore.. Find out who did it, bring them in front of the dinosaur at night and put on my beret. I'll do the rest. I'll make it worth your while."

Seemed like she had some Intel gathering to do..

"I'll get you your target. And I don't want anything for it. My name is Sian by the way. What's yours?"

The girl smiled at him, and while the man didn't drop his scowl, he answered.

"Name's Craig Boone. You should go now. I need some sleep. And we shouldn't talk anymore until it's done."

Sian just nodded, took the beret from him and left the room.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sian spent the entire day subtly questioning the citizens of Novac. She'd started out with the other sniper. Manny tried to rope her into checking out the disturbance at the old Repconn facility and she knew he'd not tell her anything if she didn't do this first. He also hadn't kept his dislike for Carla Boone a secret. There was no way in hell Sian would trek all the way over there with fresh stitches. So,instead, she opted to break into his room and look for clues. The girl found nothing pertaining to Carla, but she found a new lead on her would-be killer. When she was done here, she'd be off to Boulder City.

She then checked on Syrus, who was still unconscious. Sian sat with him for a while. But she still had other people to question.

A talk with Jeannie May Crawford made her skin crawl. This woman rubbed her all the wrong ways. And she had been very adamant that Carla had left in her own.. Sian had noticed the safe behind the counter immediately. She'd have herself a little midnight excursion tonight.

Next up were the McBride's. They didn't know anything and Sian believed them. They did tell her about the dead Brahmin in the perch. The girl told them she'd check up on it if she had the chance and left them. She wandered around town, deep in thought. She had a little chat with No-Bark Noonan, who was insane, but made a good point about trustworthiness.. Sian had a general suspicion, but it still needed some fact-checking.

She wandered around town some more, trying to make sense of all the information crammed into her head. She was heading down the street to the west, aimlessly walking. Eddie came hovering up behind her out of nowhere, because Sian was heading out of town without noticing it. Turning south, she planned to circle the town when she made contact with solid air. Startled, she tripped over her own feet and fell flat on her butt.

She scrambled backwards, when the air shimmered and a super mutant flickered into existence. Letting out a shriek, she fumbled for her gun and Eddie already started his laser onslaught. Her scream had attracted the citizens, who came running as she planted an entire magazine into the mutant's head and torso and it fell forward, almost burying her underneath its massive body. Dusty McBride found the holotape and everyone listened as it played from Sian's PipBoy. Well, that explained the Brahmin slaughter...

The McBride's insisted on giving Sian a reward for finishing off the mutant, while she protested it had been sheer dumb luck. This was settled by Alice shoving a small pouch of caps into her hands and simply going back home. Sian didn't have the chance to follow, because Dr. Strauss insisted on checking the girl's stitches, to see if they still held up.

After that, Sian finally had some peace and quiet. Strauss had banned all people from the tent, and had left shortly afterwards. She really didn't believe in looking after her patients that much...

Sian knelt next to Syrus' cot and watched him. He had gotten some color back and the unconsciousness had changed into sleep. Relieved that he was looking a lot better than this morning, Sian left the tent. She finally needed some time, alone, to think about the job she was doing for Boone. She walked south, intent on getting just outside of town where she could sit and plan her next move. The sun was only just starting to set, but the girl's eyes had darkened in her tiredness, something that she never noticed. She was deep in thought as she passed a giant boulder and nearly screamed as a hand wrapped around her arm and pulled her behind it.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Vulpes had taken as many shortcuts as he could, but it took until midday before head reached the smoldering remains. The stench didn't bother him as he examined them. This had been a group of people, nine or ten he'd say, but there were no details left to discern. He stood there a while, trying to figure out what had happened here, when an unusual rock formation caught his eye. The Fox strode over to the stone circle, immediately recognizing the clothing as Syrus' uniform. He grabbed the piece of paper attached to it and began to read.

 _Got attacked by raiders. Killed them all. He got hurt, taking him to town for medical care._

This wasn't Syrus' handwriting. It had to be the girl's. No greeting, no signature, no names. At least she was careful. He thought about his next move. He didn't want to go into town if he could help it, knowing that some ex-NCR snipers guarded it and a former ranger lived here. Vulpes decided to stick to the edge of town, hoping to catch sight of either Syrus or the girl. He did catch a glimpse of the deep blue hair that he recognized immediately. She was headed for the dingy motel and didn't return for a while. When she did come back, he watched her enter various houses and talk to all kinds of people. Had she been alone, he might have walked up to her.

Vulpes watched her, and when she finally headed off alone, he crept around the edge of town, keeping out of sight. When he heard the girl scream, however, he nearly broke cover. The man darted around the side of a building, seeing her sitting before a huge mutant with an equally huge gun. The frumentarius drew his .44, when the little robot, he'd only just noticed, started to attack, followed by the girl emptying her clip, killing the beast. All the commotion attracted the townspeople, of course, and Vulpes drew back, a frustrated groan escaping him.

 _If I have to stand around here much longer, I don't care anymore.. I'll just march in there and drag her away if I have to. Who does this brat think she is? I have other responsibilities. I'm the greatest of the frumentarii and I have better things to do than stand on the edge of this Mojave shithole!_

Vulpes was angry. He could've gone into town, he was almost absolutely certain that no one in that town could possibly know him. But he'd thought that once before, in an equally small town, and it had very nearly cost him his life. In a big city like Vegas, he was simply a face in the crowd, here however, every new face stood out. He was so lost in thought, he almost not noticed that the girl was walking towards his hiding spot. And she was finally alone!

She walked past him, oblivious to her surroundings, and Vulpes wrapped a hand around her upper arm and yanked her towards him. He saw that she was about to scream and clamped a hand over her mouth, slamming her back into the boulder with more force than he'd wanted. She stared up at him, eyes wide and frightened. Dark blue, like her hair..

Then, her eyes narrowed in recognition and she bit down on his hand, hard enough to draw blood. He swallowed a curse and fought the urge to slap her across the face. He pulled his hand away from her mouth, but kept a firm grip on her arm and standing too close for her to move away.

"What the fuck happened? Where is Syrus?" Vulpes hissed at the girl menacingly. It was only then that he noticed the bloodstain that was forming on her shirt. Apparently, Syrus hadn't been the only one to get hurt..

The girl ignored it though. Vulpes could tell that she was afraid of him, he saw it in her eyes, but she hid it extremely well.

"I'm not sure what happened exactly, I didn't see, but I think he got a rifle smashed to his head. The doctor said he has a bad concussion, but he'll be fine. But she gave him a stimpack and some MedX and he's been out of it all day." She sounded apologetic and Vulpes growled. He had hoped the boy would be awake, but if they drugged him, it might take another day.

"Why did you let them? He must've told you that the Legion doesn't allow chems?" She got angry at this. He could feel her bristle against him, her temper flaring quickly.

"I hardly even remember being carried to the doctor after he collapsed onto me! So sorry that I fell unconscious before giving her a rundown on Legion medical practices! Shall I write it on my forehead next time?!" Sian was getting louder all the time, her anger getting the better of her.

"Be quiet, you stupid woman. How did this even happen? I sent him with you to answer your questions, not for you to nearly get him killed. What did you do?" Vulpes spat the words at her with venom. It had to have been her fault.

Sian stiffened. She had distracted Syrus, and her guilt served to make her more furious. And right now, she had a wonderful target for her anger. The beast inside her reared its ugly head and pushed her fear to the back of her mind.

"What did I do? I killed the one who hurt him. I made the head of that raider filth explode. That's what I did. I had his back, as he had mine."

"Then why, pray tell, is he wounded and poisoned. Not a very good job on your part, wouldn't you say?" His voice was dangerously low, but Sian ignored all the warning signs. She had done what she could. It wasn't her fault that she had been hurt as well and no longer capable of overseeing Syrus' medical treatment. But it is your fault, said the little voice at the back of her head.

His derisive sneer fuelled her rage and her free hand snapped back as she slapped him with incredible speed. Vulpes was shocked for a split second, before he felt a blinding fury course through him. He grabbed a fistful of her long hair and pulled her head back viciously, his body pinning hers against the rock. His gaze was feral and his long fingers clawed into her hair didn't allow her to look away.

"Wrong move, you little profligate whore." His voice was deadly now. Sian realized she'd made a big mistake, all the anger leaving her in an instant. She hardly understood why she'd hit him. What demon possessed her to actually slap him across the face?

Images flooded Vulpes' mind, flashes of what he could do to her. He could beat her right here, drag her back to the camp and have her whipped, keep her and make her pay for the disrespect she'd shown. His grip on her arm and hair was painfully tight and he felt a sick pleasure in knowing that she'd have a hand shaped bruise on her arm tomorrow. Time had eased itself to a standstill as he stared into her eyes. They were the darkest blue now, and were torn open with genuine fear. He felt her chest heave, and that she tried desperately to reign in her panic.

And seeing that fear, Vulpes realized he wouldn't be able to do anything he had thought about. He didn't release her, though. What was it about her, that made him so utterly docile? He reveled in the fear of others, hers made him feel wrong, somehow. Vulpes noticed a wet patch on his stomach and looked down, seeing her blood soaking his suit. Whatever wound she had, had been reopened by him. He untangled his hand from her hair and stepped back. The girl immediately relaxed, even though his hand was still on her arm. The grip had lightened, however.

He started guiding her into town, under the cover of darkness. He spoke to her, but didn't look at her any longer.

"I'm taking the boy with me now. It's too dangerous to leave him here."

They entered the tent together, and he released the girl, stepping toward his young recruit. Sian went over to her cot, pulled on her jacket and the shawl, holstered her weapons and pulled on her bag. She felt his stare on her as she grabbed Aurelio and placed him in her bag gently. She turned to him, meeting his gaze.

"I need to do one last thing here, it will take maybe half an hour. Wait that long, then get Syrus out of here. The doctor won't show up, so you needn't worry. I'll have the sniper distracted and you can slip away unnoticed."

She grabbed some gauze and medical tape and then head out of the tent. Before she stepped into the night, she said in a soft voice.

"Tell Syrus, I'm very sorry. And that I look forward to meeting him again, his honesty was much appreciated."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sian slipped into the Dino-Dee-Lite front desk and quickly set to work on the safe. She pushed all her thoughts of the night away and focused on the lock, and it snapped open very soon. She grabbed the money and the caps, stuffing them in her bag and grabbed a folded piece of paper. It was a bill of sale...

 _Jeannie May, you goddamn bitch.. You're going down!_

Sian swiftly walked over to Crawford's house and shook her awake. In an urgent, panicky voice, the girl told her to come follow her to the Dinky statue. And she did, without protest. Leading the woman out of town, Sian saw Syrus being carried out of the tent by his boss and quickened her pace, Eddie hovering alongside her. She positioned herself in front of the dinosaur and slipped the beret onto her head when her target appeared. A gunshot rang through the still night and Jeannie May's head exploded in a fountain of blood and brain matter. Sian motioned for Boone to come down. She wanted to leave tonight. And she planned on taking the sniper with her before he drank himself to death in this shithole.

Vulpes adjusted the boy on his shoulder, and looked back toward the bridge. He could see the girl standing there, looking small and fragile in the distance, her hair and skin shining in the moonlight. She slipped something onto her head as the other woman appeared and he was startled by the sudden gunshot. The older woman's head exploded from the sniper round and the girl appeared unfazed, she had known this was going to happen. Moments later he saw a tall, bulky figure approach the girl and she laid a hand on the new man's arm. He shrugged and Vulpes heard soft laughter drift through the night. His stomach clenched at the sound.


	11. Chapter 10

Si vis pacem chapter 10

Sian had convinced Boone to come with her, feeling a strange urge to help him become well again. Not understanding why she did, nor what to say to him, the girl kept silent. She didn't think the burly sniper much of a talker anyway. He kept an eye on their surroundings, while she focused on walking. Sian was extremely tired but she told herself it was nothing, wanting to get some distance between herself and the town of Novac.

Her new companion was dead useful too. Boone dispatched some raiders that she hadn't even noticed and Sian had to admit, she probably needed to lie down.

"How much further to that damn trading post?"

Boone noticed how weary she sounded. For the first time since they had left town, he really looked at her. Even in the darkness he could see how pale she was and he grabbed her arm, turning the girl around to look at her other side. The shirt she was wearing had turned crimson on her left side and the sniper suppressed a groan. Stubborn little shit, she was, ignoring a wound that looked to be pretty painful.

"It's not that far.. You gonna make it there?" He was contemplating if he should just scoop her up again, like he'd done before, her steps haven gotten a bit sluggish.

Sian read his intentions in his voice and gave a dark chuckle.

"Don't even think about, soldier boy. You got yourself a walking corpse here, I can deal with a cut."

Boone's interest woke. They'd continued walking and he knew it would be maybe half an hour before they reached their destination. He looked down at the girl beside him.

"What do you mean? Why a walking corpse?"

"Because I was shot in the head and buried. I survived on a fluke. I guess I'm lucky, but it did mess up my brain a bit. I remember my name, I found out how old I am, but that's it. I'm not crazy though, so don't worry." She grinned at him. Sian had accepted that her memories were gone and might never come back. She didn't like it, but she had no other choice than to accept it.

Boone looked disbelieving. This kid didn't look like she deserved to be killed. He knew, of course, that no one was innocent, but looking at her, one could be fooled into thinking that she was.

"You know who did it? And why?"

Sian sighed. It was late and she was tired, but if they kept on traveling together, she'd have to tell him sooner or later anyway. At least it distracted her from the pain.

"I was a courier and whatever I carried was apparently valuable enough to shoot me. The delivery receipt said it was a poker chip. And I know the guy who shot me is called Benny and wears the most hideous suit I've ever seen. I found out that he was headed for Boulder City, so that's where I'm going."

Her voice had gotten cold and Boone decided to save any other questions for another time. They were almost at the 188 anyway. Walking up the hill in silence, he ordered her to sit down at the wooden table and got some vodka and edibles from the man running the food joint.

He set the meat down on the table and knelt beside Sian to examine the wound. She turned on her PipBoy light so he could see and gave no protest. She was too beat up to argue and it did hurt. Instead, she unpacked the gauze and tape and set it on the table.

"What the hell did you do? The stitches loosened. When you're hurt, you're 'sposed to take it easy."

Sian flinched when Boone started to wipe off the blood with an alcohol soaked piece of gauze.

"Son of a.. Gimme a heads up next time, will you. And I literally ran into a super mutant. Didn't have the choice to take it easy."

Boone was doing his best to close up the wound and get it bandaged. Meanwhile, Sian noticed a woman in mudbrown robes who was watching the two of them. The blue haired girl cocked an eyebrow.

"Is there something on my face?"

The woman threw her a smile and came a few steps closer.

"Except from a look of pain and annoyance? No, not really."

Sian laughed a bit. Boone finished bandaging her and sat down as well, digging into the food on the table. Sian motioned for the woman to join them and picked at the meat.

"So.. What's your name then?"

"I'm Veronica. And who are you two?"

"I'm Sian. And my charming and chatty friend over here is Craig Boone."

The sniper threw an unamused glare at her and Sian hid a smile. The two women chatted a while and, asking the right questions, Sian found out that Veronica was a member of the Brotherhood of Steel, a scribe to be exact. The girl knew that this faction was obsessed with pre-war tech and were a very closed society. When Veronica mentioned that she wanted to see how different groups in the wasteland functioned, Sian invited her to come along.

"We're headed for Boulder City. I'm not sure where we'll be going next, but you're welcome to tag along if you like."

A wide smile crept over the scribe's face.

"I'd like that. Traveling alone is so boring. Well, thanks for taking a chance on a naive young girl from California with stars in her eyes and a pneumatic gauntlet on her hand."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sian had sunk into an exhausted sleep, Veronica lay down as well, but Boone stayed awake, sitting in the tent and keeping guard. He was used to going incredible periods of time without sleep and thought it better to keep an eye on his new partner.

The night passed quickly, and the only eventful thing was when Boone kept himself from shooting the nighstalker that crawled from Sian's bag. It was an instinctual reflex, but when the little canine rolled himself up against the girl's stomach and yawned, the man figured it might be a pet. Sian was definitely strange enough to keep a dangerous, poisonous creature as pet..

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

By midmorning the next day Sian was ready to pull out her hair. Veronica was really nice and all, but she asked so many questions! And not just random things. After the scribe had found out about her eventful days in Novac, she started asking how she'd been wounded and when Sian accidentally mentioned Syrus, calling him her friend, Boone decided he had to become involved.

"What about that boy who was with you? Did you just leave him there?"

"No, of course not. His brother caught up to us and decided to take him home." The lie spilled from her lips with astounding ease. Not like she had a choice, really. If she revealed that Syrus was a legion spy, Boone would probably bludgeon her to death with this rifle. Veronica might be more open-minded but that was a conversation for when they had some alone time.

Boone narrowed his eyes at her. His shades kept her from determining if he was suspicious or simply thinking. He decided to drop it though and Sian stifled a relieved sigh. She deflected any more questions as they drew closer to the ruins of Boulder City. Her heart beat faster with every step she took. Walking into the destroyed city, Sian quickly found Lieutenant Monroe when he tried to send her on her way.

"I appreciate that you have a situation here, lieutenant, but there's no chance in hell that I'm leaving. Those khans have something that belongs to me."

"When they've been killed or captured, you can reclaim your stolen property. I have a hostage situation here and no time to deal with your problems."

Sian pinched the bridge of her nose. The NCR was really ineffective.

"Tell me, lieutenant, what are your soldiers worth to you? Is getting them back alive worth letting the Khans' walk? If yes, I'll get them to stand down. What do you say?"

"Know what? Try your luck. I'm not supposed to let a civilian handle this, but I'm honestly past caring at this point. Promise them what you have to. There has been enough bloodshed between us, I don't need to add to it."

Boone interjected himself into the conversation.

"Just shoot them. They took soldiers hostage, why waste any time on talking?"

Sian cocked her head sideways. Retired, but a grunt at heart. Lovely...

"And that is why you're staying out here. Apart from that damn chip, I want answers. And people tend to not answer when they're dead.."

The burly man stepped closer to her. Sian's sarcastic tone riled him up and practically growled at the girl.

"You're still hurt. The Khans will probably shoot on sight! You're not going there without backup!"

"Oy! The powerfist ain't just for show, I actually know how to use it!"

Veronica had watched them with an amused smile, but now cried out in indignation. Neither Boone nor Sian responded, they simply continued glaring at each other. Sian pushed her shades into her hair, her bright blue eyes shining coldly. She drew herself up to stand as straight and tall as possible, which wasn't very impressive as she was still over a foot shorter than him, but her aura was extremely powerful.

"Fine. I will do all the talking. You will not shoot anybody. If you do, if I don't find out what I want to know because of you, I promise, you will regret it."

It was a clear threat that sounded more like an order and the unexpected authority in her voice left no room for argument. Sian started off into the ruins, not looking back to see if the other two would follow.

She walked past the Khans who were sitting in the ruined part of the city, never stopping and simply not acknowledging them at all. Nobody shot at them, though Boone caught quite a few nasty glares. It didn't take particularly long to find who she was looking for. Walking into a house, Sian's cold eyes locked on to the man who'd watched her get shot.

"Hello honey. Remember me? We have some unfinished business, I believe.."

Jessup stumbled back, staring at the girl before him with disbelief plain on his face.

"You're that courier girl Benny wasted outside of Goodsprings. You should be dead!"

Sian smiled at him. There was absolutely nothing friendly or reassuring about that smile. It was like the grin of a nightstalker before it charged. Jessup couldn't suppress a shiver of fear running through him and Sian, noticing it with her sharp gaze, widened her smile even more. The girl bathed in the fear of the man before her. Suddenly it was only him and her, no one else was in the room. Sian took a step closer and Jessup felt his back press against the wall. He had nowhere to go and Sian took another step, murder shining in her eyes.

"Perhaps we'll try it again? Only this time it'll be you on your knees, looking down the barrel of my gun."

Boone and Veronica looked at the young girl in shocked amazement. Neither had expected her to be capable of this hardness and cruelty and yet it rolled off her in waves. Veronica was sure that one wrong move on the Khan's part, hell even an unsatisfactory answer, would get him killed in a most painful way. Boone tensed up to conceal how he felt. If it had been him on the other side of that bloodthirsty leer... He couldn't blame the Khan, he'd be intimidated as well. The sniper tensed up when a unpleasant thought crept into his mind. Sian's harshness reminded Boone of himself. He shoved the unpleasant thought away. This girl might be an able fighter, she might be capable of killing, but she was still a kid. She had to be bluffing, surely she was a lot more innocent, more naive than she made herself out to be. She had to be..

"Why did you and your little boyfriend jump me?"

Jessup's eyes flicked all over the room, looking for an escape. He was twitchy and his hand inched to his gun. The movement didn't look deliberate, more like his hand just jerked toward it out of habit.

But before he ever even got anywhere close to his weapon, Sian leapt onto the counter, her .45 pointed directly between his frightened eyes. The girl moved with breathtaking speed but her movements looked carefully measured. A feral little growl escaped her, and the grin slid off her face. Her expression became impassive, steel blue eyes alight with cruel fire.

"You have exactly thirty seconds to explain to me why you and that slick jumped me," her voice took on a threatening timbre. "You get an extra ten to convince me why I shouldn't kill you."

The words spilled from Jessup's mouth without hesitation. He didn't doubt for one second that she wouldn't shoot him. Her arm didn't tremble and her finger was wrapped around the trigger.

"Listen, we're just hired guns. This guy, Benny, he tells us he needs a job done and he's offering a fair amount of caps. So we went. It was just a job, I swear I don't even know why he wanted that package or what was even in it. We need to eat too! We needed caps! I'm sorry, okay? It wasn't planned. We was 'sposed to jump you, take the package and leave. But you put up one hell of a fight and that snake got the creeps, said he had to deal with you so you wouldn't come after him."

Sian allowed the slick smile to creep back onto her face. Her posture relaxed a bit but her gun didn't lower an inch. She wasn't gonna shoot him, but it didn't hurt to let him continue to think that.

"Seems like his plan didn't work out all that well, cause I'm still here. Where is he? I can't spot any trace of that hideous rag he insists on wearing.."

Seeing that the forty seconds were up and he was still alive, Jessup relaxed a bit. He didn't make the mistake of counting his blessings just yet. The girl was composed, her blue hair framing her face and the look she gave him was slightly amused but still as cold as ice. She could snap at any second.

"The little weasel probably ran all the way to Vegas. He ditched us, still owes us half the caps. We wanted to follow, but the goddamn NCR got in the way."

Boone twitched a bit at the last part, but Sian relaxed even further and slipped off the counter. She didn't holster her gun but she held it at her side now, rather than still aiming at him. They were simple mercenaries, not worth killing. And he had told her everything he knew, Sian was sure of that.

"Well then.. We should figure out how to get you guys out of here. Any plans?"

Sian was leaning against the counter, arms crossed and gun still in hand.

"The NCR lets us leave or we shoot the hostages. Simple as that."

Again, Boone twitched. Sian felt the movement behind her, but for now she said nothing. She maintained eye contact with Jessup. The girl had a feeling the NCR would shoot, regardless of the hostages. Sian decided to help the Khans, not because she felt the need to save lives, but because they would owe her. Or at least think she gave a damn about them and help her out when she was in a pinch.

"You know that's not gonna work... I'll talk to the lieutenant. If you release the hostages, I'll make sure they let you walk. Deal?"

Jessup watched her closely, looking for a hint of deception in her face and finding none. He would be taking a big risk, letting the two soldiers go. They were his leverage and the girl who offered to help him, was the one he'd left in a shallow grave in the desert. But staring intently into her bright blue orbs, Jessup realized he didn't have many options. At least not many that would keep him and his alive. Breathing deep, he took a leap of faith.

"Deal."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"What the hell do you mean, top brass wants you to eliminate the Khans? You told me I could promise them their freedom. You said, you didn't want to add to the bloodshed!"

Sian was livid. There was no way she'd go back on her deal with Jessup. It was dishonorable. Lieutenant Monroe looked torn.

"I can't go against a direct order.. Or can I?"

The young girl watched him with disdain and the lieutenant cringed. Her voice cut him like glass when she responded.

"If you have any honor, any integrity, you let them go free. The Khans' held up their end of the deal, let me escort your privates out. They will leave."

Sian once again spoke with a finality that was unexpected even to herself. It came out without any thought whatsoever and felt so normal, she didn't bother to question it. It seemed to work and that's all she needed to know. The beast she had felt inside her before was contentedly purring, enjoying the situation. Veronica and Boone watched the rather one sided verbal onslaught with very different feelings. The scribe was impressed at Sian shaming an NCR officer into submission. She did feel some unease at the sight of the girl though. It was like Sian had two totally different people living inside of her, one easygoing and childlike, the other hardened, cruel and jaded. An unsettling thought...

Boone on the other hand, looked like he wanted to step in any second. Sian was being incredibly disrespectful to an officer and it was something he hated to see. The kid had no business questioning the chain of command. He wanted to shake her, tell her to watch her smart mouth, but he physically couldn't move. Her voice was so hard edged, it kept him frozen in place.

"I.. Yes. You're right, of course. I gave my word, they can leave."

The lieutenant rubbed his hand over his face. But he felt relieved. The order to execute the Khans had bothered him greatly. It was time to make amends, not add to the hate between the factions. And it had taken a child to get his spine back. How shameful...

Sian's entire demeanor changed when he acquiesced to her.. well, her orders. She smiled in a relieved, grateful way. The stern, unyielding woman disappeared and the friendly girl remained.

"You're doing the right thing, lieutenant. If nothing else, you kept your integrity. There's precious little of that left in the wasteland."

The girl's voice, which had been so harsh and stinging before, was a silky purr now. The voice of the devil could not have been sweeter. It was amazing, how she could make anyone feel like the greatest and smallest person if the world. Veronica figured that this was probably the most dangerous feat of Sian's. A person who could make others feel exactly what she wanted them to feel, think exactly what she wanted them to think, was certainly an inconceivable enemy. Or an incredible ally...

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Boone had mentioned that both Hoover Dam and Camp Golf were close by but Sian shot down any and all detours. She had talked to Jessup before he left and her resolve was stronger than ever. The Khan had given her an opulent golden lighter with the request that she shove it straight up Benny's ass. She'd consider it, but the lighter was actually pretty nice...

They pressed north, sights set on Vegas. But they had to concede, they wouldn't make it that night. Sian spotted an abandoned shack and the little group made camp, the lights of Vegas illuminating the wastes around them. Neither Veronica nor Boone seemed to know the first thing about food, so when Boone came back with a molerat after a short hunting trip, Sian prepared dinner while the others watched her. After they'd eaten the surprisingly tender meat, Sian made a quick tour of the shack and found some whiskey and cigarettes, nothing spectacular, but welcome nonetheless. They sat around the fire, taking sips of the whiskey and Sian and Boone both having a smoke. Veronica took the opportunity of resuming her questioning of the other girl while they were all relaxed and calm.

"So, Sian... Where did you learn to act like that?"

Sian looked perplexed. She tried to figure out what the hell Veronica was going on about.

"What do you mean, act?"

"You know. This whole hardass thing you had going on with Monroe. And how you intimidated that Khan. Where did you learn to do that?"

Boone perked up. He'd wanted to ask the same thing, but he never knew how to voice these topics. Now he listened intently and watched the blue haired girl with furrowed brow. She seemed honestly confused.

"I don't know what you mean, Vero. I just did it. It seemed like the right thing to do. And it worked so.."

"Yeah but it had to come from somewhere. You were so sweet all the time, all smiles, and then suddenly you get get all hellfire-angry. I won't lie, you really freaked me out for a second there. It was like you were a totally different person. Kinda like Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Psycho."

Boone took the opening and spoke before Sian had a chance to respond.

"It really was weird. You sounded a bit like my old C.O. And I heard of Monroe. He's said to be a strict guy, and still, you talked him down."

Sian sighed. It was just a sudden impulse, every word she had spoken and her tone of voice had been completely instinctual. She proceeded to explain her situation to Veronica and how there was no way she could remember anything. Veronica had to fight down the urge to hug the younger girl, feeling it would not be appreciated. She decided to keep away from the topic for a while. The underlying fury in Sian's voice was unnerving, but she understood the anger at the head of the chairmen. The scribe announced she would accompany the other two to Vegas, where she planned to introduce Benny's face to her powerfist. Sian choked on smoke when she laughed hard. She allowed the feral grin to slip back on her face.

"Not a chance, Vero. He's mine. And it will hurt..."

And even though that cruel girl was shining through again, the three people around the fire laughed and joked.

Sian offered to take the first watch and practically had to force Boone to go inside the shack and lie down. The fire had died, only a few embers remaining and Sian sat in front of the little wooden hut, her rifle leaning against her and eased a second cigarette from the pack. Her thoughts ran wild in her head. She honestly didn't know where she had learned to be so authoritive, nor if the weird pleasure at inflicting pain and fear had always been a part of her. Sian wondered if this beast, that sometimes clawed at her to be released, was friend or foe.. She could not rely on experience for anything, so she'd have to learn to trust her instincts. But would they serve her well? Or would they lead her astray?


	12. Chapter 11

Si vis pacem Chapter 11

The trip to Vegas had taken a few hours and the small group had to fend of hordes of Geckos, who seemed to think that the three travellers would make a perfect lunch. Sian was having the time of her life, not even reaching for her gun once, much to Boone's dismay. He kept an eye on the girl, sniping anything that got to close to her, but she still got to disembowel a few lizards. They thinned out as the group neared Vegas and Sian had something new to occupy herself.

Sian stepped through the gates of Freeside, looking around herself in wonder. Vegas was nothing like the wasteland towns she'd seen. The girl felt a strong desire to run around town and inspect every nook and cranny of it, wanting to know exactly what there was to be seen. Boone had other plans though. The sniper grabbed Sian's arm and dragged her to a place he called the "Old Mormon Fort". She struggled a bit, hissing because Boone latched on to her fresh bruise, but his grip was vicelike. Veronica trailed behind them with Eddie hovering alongside her.

Once inside the Fort, the group was sent to a tent in the back where Boone pushed Sian into a chair rather roughly. The girl pouted up at him, attempting to make him feel bad at manhandling her, but, no dice.

 _Brick wall would show more compassion..._

After a short wait, during which Sian wondered how she'd best escape this, she and Boone looked toward the tent entrance, hearing footsteps approaching.

A tall blonde man stepped in and looked like he'd really rather be elsewhere.

"Good morning. I'm Dr. Gannon and because of some cosmic joke, I'm the one who's going to treat you now. What's the problem?"

"Good morning Dr. Gannon. I'm Sian and there is no problem. I was dragged here. Sorry to waste your time, I'll be go-"

She had made to stand up, but Boone's hand clamped onto her shoulder, forcing her back down. Sian was hoping for a second try, but his hand stayed were it was.

"She's got some stitches on her side that came loose. Fixed it as best I could, but I'd like a doctor to check it."

The blonde doctor sighed a bit.

"Alright. Jacket off, shirt up. Let's see if you're gonna die from infection or if you live to get some more injuries."

Sian started pulling her leather jacket off, her movements a bit stiff. She threw it to Veronica and pulled up the shirt to expose the bandages. There were a few spots where blood had started to seep through again. With a glare to Boone, the girl turned so the doctor could inspect her wound. He sank onto one knee beside her and pulled off the bandages without much care.

"Could you at least try to not make this hurt? If you don't wanna treat me, fine, don't."

The doctor flinched back a bit and looked guilty all of a sudden.

"Sorry, I'm just not used to dealing with patients. I'm a researcher, but we're having a busy day and no one else was available. I'll be more careful."

And he was. He worked off the rest of the bandages with gentle fingers and examined the stitches, prodding at the wound carefully.

"So, tell me how this disaster happened. Looks like a cut over a bruise. And it's gotten a bit infected... How often did this open up after it was stitched?"

"Uhm.. I dunno.. Twice, I think. It doesn't really hurt that much. Just when I move wrong. And it doesn't feel infected. It's not warm or anything..."

The man looked up at her with a surprised expression. He gestured for her to lie on the cot and collected some medical supplies. He came back to her and started removing the old, stretched stitches. Boone kept back, but Veronica sat down near Sian's head and held Aurelio on her lap. Arcade started speaking again as soon as he started cleaning the wound with disinfectant.

"So you know some basic medicine, eh? You'd have felt the infection in a day or two. Some dirt got in, it seems. But we got it right in the beginning, so it shouldn't give you any problems. I'm just gonna clean it, stitch it up again and then you have to take it easy for a day or two. Tell me what happened."

And so, Sian once again recounted the story of how she'd gotten punched around in Primm and cut up near Novac. Dr. Gannon's mouth was pressed to a thin line, and the girl figured it might vanish soon. When she started telling him how the stitches had loosened when she'd happened upon the mutant, he looked like he'd might drink the disinfectant. The only part she glossed over, was the unexpected meeting with the Frumentarius. Instead, she insisted she had tripped over a rock. The doctor injected a stimpack into her wound and began stitching the skin together. Veronica and Sian started to ask him about his research and both girls were fascinated when he told them about the alternative medicine that he was looking for. He didn't seem to enthusiastic about it though, and when Sian asked him why, he gave her a sad, little smile.

"I'm enthusiastic about helping people, but nihil novi sub sole."

Sian just smiled in response, and answered him without thinking. She had almost exclusively spoken to Syrus in English, but the doctor's dialect was familiar, as were the words.

"Verba vera.. But still, it's a noble goal. One worth pursuing."

Boone, Veronica and Gannon all stared at her and Sian froze for a split second. In this incredibly short time, her mind shouted every profanity known to man at her.

 _Fucking stimpacks! Always make me woozy and stupid! Goddamn it, save this somehow!_

Before she could get out a word, the doctor nearly _gushed_ at her.

"You have no idea how long it has been since I did not need to translate that! You're a Follower, too, aren't you? Where were y-"

Before Sian had time to react to this perfect excuse that had been served to her on a silver platter, Boone exploded. He strode over to the cot and hoisted her up by the arm. He looked absolutely livid.

"Where the fuck did you learn Latin?! You're no Follower! I saw you fight, so don't even try it! Who taught you?!"

Sian tried to shake off his hand, but his grip tightened even further. He was beyond pissed and she was getting there quickly. How dare he touch her like this?

"Who the fuck do you think you are? Let go of me! You know perfectly well that I don't remember anything! The simple fact that I know another language does not make me a fucking villain!"

Both Boone and Sian had incredible tempers and as they clashed the air seemed to cackle with electricity. Arcade Gannon stared at them in disbelief. The burly soldier had seemed so protective of the girl before. The doctor saw that the man's knuckles had gone white and he snapped out of his daze immediately.

"Hey! She's injured, let go of h-"

"Stay out of this!"

Arcade recoiled as they both snarled the exact same phrase at him. The force of their combined anger was palpable as they stared at each other.

"Why didn't you say something before?" Boone growled threateningly. "Only reason you wouldn't tell, is that you want to hide it! Why would you hide it, if you aren't just a Legion bitch?!"

His last words hung between them like a blade and the air was thick with tension. Veronica looked between them both, amazed at how quickly they had clashed. Arcade was currently debating whether or not he should try to step in again.

Sian narrowed her eyes at the man before her, her anger rising even further than she thought possible. Freeing her arm with a swift jerk, she took a step back. With the same swiftness she had portrayed in Boulder City, her right arm drew back and she landed a hard punch to the man's stomach. It was an angry, uncontrolled motion and Boone nearly doubled over. The blow had knocked the breath out of him, but he straightened out again, doing his best to hide how painful that was.

"Leave. Now. Before I say or do something I might regret."

Boone stared at her for a few seconds, green eyes meeting blue. Sian held the stare without difficulty. Seconds felt like hours and with a last growl, the burly man turned on his heel and stalked out of the tent.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

It had taken nearly two days for Syrus to wash the poison out of his system and wake up. Vulpes had drilled his men to not reveal anything about Syrus' absence and involuntary drug use to anyone back at the Fort. It would only serve to the boy's disadvantage.

Vulpes had to get back, Caesar was expecting him, but since the Frumentarii operated entirely independent from the Legion's main force, he could always stretch assignments.

He had put the boy in his own tent, so he'd be alone and able to rest. Vulpes went to check on his young recruit and found that he'd finally awoken. Syrus looked dazed and seemed to have a hard time focusing on him. When he finally recognized his superior officer, the boy struggled to reach his feet.

Vulpes strode over and pushed him back down.

"Keep still, boy. It won't help anyone if you fall over and hit your head again. Do you remember what happened?"

The young Frumentarius pushed himself into a sitting position, cradling his head in his hands. He felt sore all over and had a throbbing headache. Images flashed through his mind, in no particular order. They seemed sharper than reality, all vivid colours and hard edges.

That girl, laughing with him over the campfire.

Her pained face when she'd been injured.

The carnage of Nipton.

Big, blue eyes hovering above his face.

A raider reading his death in Syrus' eyes.

"I remember raiders... They got the jump on us, but she.. she was incredible.." Syrus couldn't suppress a little smile when he remembered the fight.

"Honestly, she's so fast. And strong, even if she's small. A good fighter."

Vulpes quirked and eyebrow at his recruit. Seemed like the girl had left quite the impression on Syrus. It was understandable, he guessed. She was definitely intriguing. He still kept his voice a bored drawl, though.

"I was referring to how you got your injury. You got attacked by raiders. Then what happened?"

Syrus stifled a groan and tried to focus.

"I'm not sure. She got stabbed, I remember that. Afterwards things start to kind of blend together. I killed the one who attacked her, and some others. And then, something crashed into my head. After that, it's a blank.."

Vulpes had feared as much. The boy had a concussion, some memory loss was to be expected. He still had some questions for the boy though. Syrus had accompanied her for a reason after all.

"What do you remember about the girl? What did she want to know? What's her name?"

Syrus stared off into space for a minute, trying to recall their conversation from that night. When had that been anyway? How long had he been out? Forcing himself to concentrate again, he realized something. He'd forgotten the girl's name...

"I don't know her name. I'm sure she told me, but I can't remember." He eyed the older man carefully, but when he just gave a non-committal wave, Syrus continued.

"She asked about the Legion's ideals. Our goals, our culture and traditions. But she already heard about some of our horror stories."

"Yes, I'd expect as much. The usual slaving rapists propaganda?" He spoke with a mocking sneer.

"What did you tell her about the views on women?" 

"I told her the truth. She's smart, she would've seen through every lie, anyway. I told her that we don't think any less of women, but that most legionaries still do. She wasn't impressed, but she didn't seem that surprised."

Vulpes said nothing. He'd gotten a similar impression of the girl. He'd have to think about if she was worth pursuing in the future. He had had to cut some women loose and needed new ones. New faces always kept the information flowing.

"Sir, if I may.." Vulpes snapped out of his thoughts and motioned for his recruit to continue.

"I believe she'd be useful to us. She's clever, quick on her feet and pretty intimidating if she wants to be. I think she'd be the kind of girl who can get to the high ranking officers, not only collect pillow talk from grunts. It's something about her eyes, I think. They look so bright and innocent."

Syrus had done his best to not sound too timid. He had only been a Frumentarius for a few months and didn't feel confident in voicing suggestions yet. But he truly believed the girl was worthy of consideration, so he pushed aside all fear of being reprimanded and spoke on her behalf as best he could.

Vulpes, again, kept silent. The girl did seem predestined for their line of work. Unafraid of bloodshed, intelligent, a tad too confident perhaps, but she seemed afraid enough of him to do what he said. But she had left with the Sniper and that dog was NCR. He'd need time to think about this. And talk to her once more. If there was any chance she'd side with the NCR, she'd have to be dealt with.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Well that was uncomfortable..." Arcade fidgeted a bit, not really sure what to do now. Sian still seemed to be in another place in her anger. But suddenly, it was like a switch was flipped. Her posture relaxed and she turned to face him, smiling.

"Thank you for the treatment, doctor. How much do I owe you?"

She was already routing around her bag for her caps. That was when Arcade noticed the dark blue, hand shaped bruise on her right arm. Boone had grabbed her left though.

"Uhmm.. Does.. Does this kinda thing happen on a regular basis?"

"Nah, we've only known each other for a few days. And I don't think he explodes that often, more of a closed person, you know?"

"Mhmm.." Arcade studied her with a raised brow. Either she was a great actor, or she really didn't understand what he wanted to know. He couldn't just ask her outright, could he?

Veronica inadvertely saved him when she voiced his question, laughing a bit at Sian's obliviousness.

"He wants to know where the other bruise came from, you twit."

Sian glanced at both her arms. On the left was a red imprint from Boone's shovel-hand, which would probably start turning blue by tonight. On the right, the bruise was already present. It looked different, a lot slimmer than the new one.

 _Wonderful.. Now I have two butts to kick. Did I used to let people push me around so much? No. Definitely not. This stops now. But what do I tell_ them _? The head of Caesar's spy division got a little frisky?_

She let out an annoyed sigh. Telling the truth was, once again, out of question. Sian had no problem lying. It's not like these people were her best friends after all. She'd just have to remember to keep her stories straight. Slipping up could be detrimental to her health and nobody needed that. She looked at the other two and shrugged.

"When my friend Sy and me got attacked by raiders, he pulled me behind him. I guess it happened then. It's not a big deal, bruises happen."

Sian paid for her treatment and she and Veronica stayed a bit, chatting with Arcade. They talked about he research, about the work the Followers did in Freeside and about the city in general. The girl found Arcade's sarcasm refreshing, but after talking a while, found him to be rather idealistic. She wasn't sure how an idealist could possibly survive the wasteland..

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Boone was seething, his stomach hurt, as did his ego, and he needed some whiskey. Now. He made his way over to the Atomic Wrangler, where the booze was cheap and no one bothered an angry man.

He found a table in the shadows and ordered a bottle. The burning in his throat helped calm him somewhat. He wasn't sure why he had exploded like that, or why he felt so betrayed, he hardly knew the girl after all.

 _Maybe because I trusted her. I told her about Carla and she might be Legion. Could she really be Legion?_

Boone was confused. As he steadily emptied the whiskey bottle, he tried to determine if it could be possible. The Legion kept women as slaves, they were nothing more than breeding stock and punching bags to those animals. And even if she was Legion, an escaped slave maybe, there was no way that they would waste an education on a slave. But Boone was from California and knew the Followers of the Apocalypse. They weren't known for their fighting prowess. The guards, yes, but they didn't shut themselves in the libraries. It was nearly impossible that she was a Follower. But she couldn't really be Legion, either...

Who the hell was this girl? And why did he even care? She was just some kid.

But his mind drifted back to when he'd first seen the girl.

He'd heard her calling for help, and she sounded so young, he had to go check. When he and one of Strauss' guards came bolting out of town, his eyes had fixed on her immediately.

She had been bleeding heavily, her whole body trembling under the strain of holding her friend upright. The guard had picked the unconscious boy off of her and he'd grabbed the swaying girl before she could hit the ground. Her eyes never left his face as he had carried her to the medic's tent, but she seemed to be staring right through him.

Boone had set the girl down on the cot and examined her while Strauss looked after the unconscious boy.

She was small, fragile even, but one could see she was muscled instead of weak. Must've been hell of an injury though. The dark blue hair contrasted sharply with her almost translucent skin and she had dark shadows under her eyes.

Boone suddenly looked toward the door on a hunch, and there she was. She had come alone and spotted him right away.

Sian walked toward the sniper, completely ignoring anyone around her. Her eyes were on him alone and Boone was not sure what he read in them.

She still looked angry, but there was more hidden in the blue.

The girl sat down across from him and grabbed his whiskey, drinking what little was left in the bottle and showing no reaction to the burning. She was glaring daggers at him, but when she spoke, her voice was soft.

"I know how this looks. And that's also why I didn't tell you. I know, why you hate the Legion. It's justified. But you have to understand, I do not remember anything. I don't know , how I know what I know."

Sian had waved one of the servers for another bottle and two glasses. When they arrived, she poured the amber liquid and slid a glass toward him. Her eyes were boring into him, willing him to understand.

"Boone, whatever I was before, that girl is dead. Her skills resurface at times, but she is gone. I have to re-evaluate everything. Every faction I meet, needs to be examined. And... And I need help. But I need people around me who are not blinded by hate. I'm not impressed by what I've seen from NCR up until now. They are ineffective, they're stretched far too thin and the soldiers are terrified of their enemy."

Boone thought on this. He desperately wanted to contradict. It was not the first time he'd heard these things about the Republic and he'd shot everyone who said it down. But her voice was alluring, it seemed to float around his mind just like the whiskey did. And if he were honest, she did have a point. Boone physically shook that last thought from him.

The second bottle of whiskey was half empty by now and his mind was starting to enter this calm, fuzzy state he always craved. Sian looked a bit dazed. She was still very young, he thought, and she was small. This was probably the largest amount of liquor she'd ever had and he saw that she fought to keep her focus. Did it really matter where she had learned some damn language? Or who she might have been?

Boone didn't know her very well, but snipers' tended to trust their guts.

He had seen her react to other people and had noticed that she held herself to high standards. She believed in honour and integrity, she had helped him without second thought and she had come to find him after he had stormed off. Boone heaved a sigh.

"Sorry for lashing out at you like that. I shouldn't have. Especially not when you're still hurt. I forgot that you forgot... "

Boone was never much of a talker. He wished he were right now. He wanted to convince Sian that the NCR was better than she thought. He wanted to tell her that his hatred for the Legion stemmed from what they stood for, that he'd hated them long before he met Carla. But he couldn't. He didn't know how. So instead he opted to show her.

"Come to Camp McCarran with me. My old unit's there, speak to them. They'll show you a different side of the Republic. You wanna learn about the NCR, they'll teach you. Deal?"

Sian smiled sweetly at him and finished off her whiskey. She didn't believe that anyone could change her mind by just talking, but of course, she'd go. Maybe they'd surprise her.

"Deal. But I'm warning you," Her smile widened, but her voice took a steely quality. "If you ever call me a bitch again, we're having problems."

There was nothing more to be said. He understood her standpoint, she agreed to learn about his. The two shared another bottle of whiskey, Boone having the lion's share. Still, Sian was drunk.

Around three in the morning, the girl had fallen asleep on the table. Boone shook his head, telling Garrett he'd need a room and carried Sian upstairs. In the room, he carefully pulled her jacket off and lay her on the bed. She didn't even stir, her breaths soft and even.

Boone lay down on the bed as well, keeping his distance from the young girl. He turned to examine her though. He saw the bruises on both of her arms and felt a surge of anger. At himself, and at whoever was responsible for the other one.

Boone vowed to never lay a hand on her again. He had never lost it with a woman, never touched one in anger. He felt terrible for having crossed that line, even if he didn't actually strike her.

Sian started whimpering, which caught his attention immediately and he propped himself up on one elbow. Her face was scrunched up in emotion, pain and fear. Boone didn't know what to do. It was clear that she was having a nightmare. Should he wake her? Or just ignore it? When a tear slipped from her closed eyes, he didn't think any more. He reached over and pulled her towards him. The girl didn't wake up and she didn't start crying, but she clutched at him like she was drowning and kept on with her pitiful whimpers. He just lay there, her head on his shoulder and his arm wrapped around her until the gut-wrenching sounds ceased. This kid needed someone to look out for her, and while he'd never actively seek that role, it fell on him now. After tonight, he wouldn't turn away.


	13. Chapter 12

**AN:** **Just a quick note to explain some things**

 **Normal cursive signifies thoughts**

 **Bold cursive signifies memories or dreams**

 **Also, thank you for reviews :) I love reviews and leaving them will bribe me into writing faster ;)  
I also like to know what you guys think of my work ^^**

 **And now, let adventure commence!**

Si vis pacem Chapter 12

 **CRACK!** The grip of Sian's .45 connected with the side of the greaser's head.

"Goddammit, Pacer! Stay down!" Sian was beyond angry.

"Stay here! I'll talk to them and if you so much as move, I will shoot you, you fucking idiot!"

Boone was currently covering her back, rifle in hands, but kept low. He didn't want to have to shoot at NCR soldiers. Veronica was clenching and unclenching her powerfist and keeping a close eye on the blue haired girl. Sian was completely unafraid as she walked towards Major Kieran, hands raised and gun holstered. The Major ordered her men to stand down and watched the girl coming toward her.  
The sniper still had his rifle at the ready, but made no move to shoot.  
As Sian made her way over, her thoughts flew back to the events leading up to this disaster.

 _ **After Sian had woken up, annoyed and with a headache, her and Boone had went to get Veronica, so the three could make their way to the Strip gate. Sian planned to just waltz through, but when some Freeside lout tried the same thing and get obliterated...  
**_ _ **Not worth it.  
**_ _ **And so, the small group faffed about Freeside, trying to figure out where to get a Strip pass. They were told to go see the King and the old Greaser and Sian hit it off immediately. The King's dog took an instant liking to the girl as well and sat beside her, resting his head on her thigh.  
**_ _ **The King agreed to help her get a Strip pass if she helped him first. Sian found that reasonable and so, she began to investigate the tensions between Freeside citizens and the settlers from the NCR. It wasn't all that hard. Pissed off people like to tell their side of the story and after a talk with Julie, they had an in with Major Kieran.  
**_ _ **When she found out on what big scale Pacer had fucked up the situation in Freeside, Sian had to physically restrain herself from murdering him on sight.  
**_ _ **One man was responsible for the problems, and even now he was still cocky about it.**_

"Major Kieran, the King sent me to negotiate with you. He'd like to reach terms to which you both can agree on and find a way to help Freeside."

The Major gave a derisive snort.

"Yes, I've seen how he negotiates. Our messenger almost died!"

"The King never knew about your messenger, he never reached him. Please, Major, you have the same goals. He wants to meet with you and I'm sure you'll figure out a way to work together."

Sian spoke softly, with a humility that she would have never displayed under normal circumstances. But by acting demure, the Major could save face and still do what Sian wanted her to do. But the girl's jaw was clenched. She hated feeling like a subordinate.

Kieran's face softened and barked some orders over her shoulder. She turned to face the girl again.

"Tell the King I will be by in a few days. I have to talk to my superiors first and see how much leeway they give me. But if what you told me is true, I guess we'll come to some kind of agreement."

 **XXXXXXXXX**

Sian did just that. When she and her companions had gotten back to the King's school and informed him that the situation was resolved, the head Greaser had been glad and grateful. He'd roughly ordered a disgruntled Pacer to get the top-shelf scotch and bourbon and invited the three young people to celebrate this happy outcome. The King was in a good mood and with him, that meant getting drunk off his ass. He poured his guests a gracious measure and toasted them happily.  
This time, Boone tried to keep an eye on how much Sian drank, not wanting a repeat episode of this morning. He grinned when he recalled how the startled girl had jerked away from him so violently that she fell out of bed.

Sian asked the King about Rex and the older man looked almost distraught when told her that the dog was sick. When the blue haired girl heard that even the Followers couldn't help the pooch, she she got sad. Rex was curled up at her feet, Aurelio snoozing on top of him. Screw it. Benny would have to wait..

"If you'd like, I'll take Rex for a walk to the Followers tomorrow. There's a researcher there who might know something. Or see if Julie thought of something since you've been there."

The King lit a cigarette, offered them around the table and lit it for Sian when she took one. He filled his and her glass again and focused on her.

"Yeah, maybe you'll have more luck than me, I was pretty angry when I went down there. I vaguely recall something about upending a few tables, maybe knocking out one of her doctors. Probably shouldn't show my face there for a while."

Veronica let out a drunken giggle and the King grinned ruefully and filled up everyone's glasses once more. Sian was starting to enjoy the fuzzy warmth that spread through her.  
Sian smiled at him, genuinely, and reached down to scratch Rex's ears. The dog gave a low whine and leaned into her touch.

"That's settled then. We're gonna fix you Rexxy. We'll find a way."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

They had slept at the King's school and when the three of them had gotten up, Sian picked up Rex and they left for the Old Mormon Fort. Arcade couldn't help them, he was so caught up in his research he hardly even responded to questions.

Julie told them about a Dr. Henry living in Jacobstown who might be able to help. She discussed the options with Sian and both women concluded that Rex might need a new brain. Veronica decided to stay behind with Arcade to find out more about his medical research, and Boone and Sian head north.

Once outside the city, Aurelio was let out of his mistress' bag and he ran wild with Rex. Sian watched the two of them happily. Whenever Rex tensed because his brain gave him trouble, the little nighstalker would rub his head against that of his new friend, howling softly. It would make a rock melt.

She wondered where they might find a brain for the cyberdog. She had gotten a jar and preservation fluid from Julie, but she had to procure the organ herself.  
They had walked half the day and almost reached the mountain ridge. Just as they wanted to turn west. Aurelio let out a fearsome hiss and barged southward.

"Get back here, you dumb mutant!"

Sian barged after her pet, Rex hot on her heels. Boone let out a string of curses before he too, pursued his companion. Sian had quite the head start though and she was a lot faster than Boone. After a few minutes of solid sprinting, the girl got close enough to grab her pet. She was about to yell at Aurelio when a snarling, scraggly ball of fur came flying at her, intent on taking her head off. Reacting completely on instinct, the petite girl pulled her combat knife and thrust her arm forward. And by some kind of miracle, the blade stabbed through the feral beast's chest and it crumpled to the ground mid-jump. She must have pierced the heart with her random strike. Seeing it was really only a dog, Sian knelt down. It gave a few pitiful whines and Sian stroked the matted fur. Moments later, the dog was dead. The girl still stroked the mangy animal a few times, a sad expression on her face.

Boone had caught up with her when she'd killed the animal and watched her.

 _She kills without second thought. People.. Those freakin Geckos.. She pistol-whipped that greaser without any hesitation. She can be so scary, and yet, she looks like a little girl who lost her pet... Comforting to know, that she can be so innocent._

Boone's reflections came to an abrupt halt when Sian once again pulled her knife.  
Aurelio had been whining at her and butting his small head against the dog's and she intuitively knew what the little mutant wanted to tell her.  
This was a brain for Rex.

"Boone! Get over here and prepare the jar, please. Lady luck favours us today."

As she started to cut away the fur and tissue to get to the coveted organ, Boone started pouring the foul-smelling fluid into the jar, mumbling something that sounded like 'so much for innocence..'  
After the grisly work was done, Sian and Boone once again headed for Mt. Charleston, followed closely by the two canines.

The sun just started to set when they arrived on the peak of the mountain and Sian's childlike side resurfaced at the sight of snow. She ran to it, dropping to her knees and dug her hands through the cold whiteness, eyes torn open in wonder.  
She was so distracted, she never heard the heavy footsteps.

"It's been a long time since I have seen someone so mesmerized by snow."

Sian spun around and scrambled backwards at the sight of the super mutant, remembering her last encounter with one in Novac.  
Boone had reached for his rifle, but didn't shoot. This mutant was capable of coherent speech and didn't seem hostile. If it took one more step towards the girl, he would shoot though.  
The greenish mutant raised his enormous hands to show he wasn't going to attack, and Sian's tense muscles loosened. She stood in one fluid motion, without the use of her hands.

"We're looking for Dr. Henry. Does he live here?"

"He does. Welcome to Jacobstown, human. As long as you aren't hostile, you have nothing to fear. The doctor is inside the resort, through the main entrance and then right. Don't stare at the nightkin and you should be fine. I'm Marcus, by the way. I'm the mayor of Jacobstown."

Sian smiled and stuck out her hand on a whim.

"My name's Sian. Don't worry, we know how to behave."

The mutant, Marcus, stared at her outstretched hand for a second, then carefully wrapped his own around it to shake.  
Sian's small, thin hand nearly disappeared in Marcus', and his grasp was firm, but gentle.  
The look on his face was disbelieving, but it changed to a surprised, genuine smile.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

As soon as he'd stepped foot inside the Fort, Vulpes was notified that Caesar wished to see him. He told his men they could do what they wanted for now, but to come to his tent that evening. Being summoned could only mean a new assignment.  
He quickly dropped his bag at his tent, washed dust and sand off his face and made his way over to Caesar's tent. He stepped through the flap unhindered, and found Caesar sitting at the table, speaking with Lucius.

"Ah, Vulpes. Come, join us. Your mission in Nipton was a success, I hope?"

"Of course, my lord. Nipton was as big as Searchlight, but more.. personal."

Vulpes let a proud smirk creep over his face. His cruelty had made him one of the most feared and powerful men in the Legion and the normal footsoldiers spoke of his ascension through the ranks in awe. But it wasn't his talents alone that had secured his success in the Legion.  
The Frumentarius bit the inside of his cheek to pull himself from old memories and sat down at the table, waiting to be addressed by Caesar.  
But he had to wait. Caesar spoke to Lucius about the new Praetorians, about the situation at the Fort, a broken Howitzer and Vulpes tuned out. His body stayed immobile, but his steely blue eyes roamed around the tent. He noticed a certain book on a desk and the memories he'd tried to push away before, flooded his brain at full force.

" _**'If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.' Tell me, do you think this accurate? Can you imagine a situation where you could apply this?"**_

 _ **The bright blue eyes of the man rested on him and Vulpes was thinking hard. He'd finished reading 'The Prince' the day before and Joshua wanted to know if he understood the book. There were many simple situations where this would apply, but he knew that an easy answer would not be accepted. Hesitantly, the eight year old began to speak.**_

" _ **If I were in a struggle for power with other men... I'd try to discredit them where I can, and severely. Or injure them badly, aiming to cripple them perhaps."  
His face was scrunched up in concentration. Vulpes was not yet used to his lessons and always had to choose his words carefully. He tried to copy Joshua's manner of speech.**_

" _ **If I discredit someone, I would damage his reputation beyond repair. Maybe procure proof that he went against the teachings of Mars, accuse him of crimes against the Empire. If I have to actually injure someone, I would cripple their body... and their mind?"**_

 _ **He eyed the man sitting across from him carefully.**_ _**But his mentor seemed pleased with him.**_

" _ **Very good, boy. And would you do it secretly?"**_

" _ **Yes and no. I would let my victims know it was me, but I'd make sure that there is no evidence against me. To show my enemies that I am capable of destroying them and they can't do anything to stop it!"**_

 _ **The boy had become louder as he talked, childish excitement shining in his eyes. Joshua had laughed at him.**_

" _ **It's never that easy, boy. But you have a good head on your shoulders. You'll deal with any opponent you're faced with, I'm more than certain."**_

" _ **Get back here, you little runt!"  
Vulpes and Joshua were momentarily distracted by a Praetorian thundering down the hall of the Caesarian Palace in Flagstaff. He was chasing after a black haired child and Joshua furrowed his brow at the ruckus. **_

_**He tapped the table to get his young student's attention again and they continued their lesson.**_

"Vulpes? Vulpes?! Are you sleeping with your eyes open? Pay attention!"

He very nearly flinched when Caesar's voice cut through his thoughts. But the Fox composed himself quickly, cramming the memory far back in his mind.

"My apologies, Lord Caesar. It has been a long day. What do you need me for?"

The Legion's leader grumbled a bit, and took a long swig from the goblet sitting in front of him.

"I need to speak with you about your men. I have given you an assignment. You delegated it, which is fine, but your Frumentarii seem incapable of carrying out their orders."

Vulpes face went cold. He knew what assignment Caesar was talking about. There was only one that had failed time and time again. He sent a silent prayer to the gods', hoping he was mistaken. He did not want to have to deal with this now.

"I'm speaking about Utah. This situation needs to be dealt with, and I want it done quickly. You will take some of your men and accompany them. Maybe they'll achieve better results when the threat of punishment is imminent."

"But, Lord Caesar, I'm sure I'm needed here. My men always do their best, no matter if I'm there or not." _Please, don't make me go there. I can't be the one to do it..._

"You will assign one of your men to handle the day-to-day business. I want you to travel with your men and meet with the White Legs. They face an opponent far more capable than themselves and are in need of instruction. Who better than my most dangerous strategist?" He cut the younger man off with an impatient gesture when he tried to object.

"This was not a request, Inculta. Get the map. I want to discuss the route you'll take and the details of your assignment."

Vulpes' jaw clenched together tightly as he did what he was told. He knew arguing was pointless. Caesar's word was law and Vulpes had no choice but to obey.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Doctor Henry was working on replacing Rex's brain, having commented in the high concentration of turbo in it, and Sian decided to go marvel at the snow some more. Boone watched her with quiet amusement.  
When they walked around the town, Marcus came running up to them.

"I could use your help, human. There's some mercenaries outside town. They seem to want to provoke us into attacking them. Maybe you can get them to stand down without bloodshed."

"Why would they want you to attack them? Why wouldn't they make the first move?"

"I can only guess, but I would assume they're NCR. They want to provoke us so that they can attack without being the aggressor."

Boone stepped forward, looking angry.

"And why do they have to be NCR? Many people are afraid of mutants."

Marcus looked down at the sniper, something akin to pity on his face.

"I could be wrong. But the NCR has done this before. Maybe you'll find out what's behind this."

Sian could see that Boone wanted to retort again, so she stepped in. She had a feeling that Marcus could be right. She saw the men from afar and took in their high-class armour and weapons. Looked very expensive for a couple of mercenaries...  
She ordered Aurelio to stay within the city and turned to Marcus.

"We'll go check it out for you. Come on, Boone."

Sian laid her hand on her .45, but kept it holstered as she strolled towards the man standing on the road. Boone had his rifle out again and followed behind her.  
As soon as the girl came within speaking distance, the man addressed her.

"Our business is with the muties, not you."

Boone noticed how Sian's entire demeanour changed at the dismissive tone. Her back straightened out and she looked regal, with her head held high and her chin jutted out.  
Her voice was like steel again.

"Not anymore. As of now, your business is with me. What do you want from Jacobstown?"

"Just doing what I'm paid to do – harass the muties until they attack us or leave. If they leave, we let 'em go. If they attack us, we wipe 'em out." the merc shrugged.

"Either way, our job's not done until the town's cleared out."

 _Very forthcoming with information... Now let's see if he keeps that up._

"Who is paying you? And what exactly are you being paid for?"

The leader of the mercenaries seemed less willing to divulge this information. But Sian's stare was relentless. The girl said nothing, just maintained eye contact. This was a battle of wills and she was being unusually patient. His eyes flicked toward Boone, the beret on his head, the rifle in his hand and then back to Sian.  
Finally he let out a huff and spoke, his tone a lot less dismissive now.

"Won't name name's, but some important folks in the NCR are sick of muties attacking their Brahmin herds. They want them gone from NCR territory. Maybe this group had something to do with attacking Brahmin, maybe not. Doesn't matter. We're getting paid to make them go away."

 _Knew it,_ she thought with a grimace, _sorry, Boone, I was right. Freaking NCR, ineffective as all fuck, not even supplying their soldiers with satisfactory weapons, but paying mercenaries to start a_ _mini-war with mutants..._

"Now, unless I'm mistaken, Mt. Charleston is in Nevada. This is not NCR territory. I do not care what Brahmin big shots paid you to be here, the citizens of Jacobstown will no longer be harassed by the likes of you."

"I've faced down a charging Deathclaw and didn't blink. What makes you think I'd back down from you?"

The man apparently tried to regain some of his bravado, but Sian didn't buy it. She held his gaze, her eyes once again a luminescent blue. Her smile took on a sadistic streak as she stepped closer. Boone had moved toward her when the mood had changed and saw the transformation out of the corner of his eyes.

"I can tell you exactly what makes me think that. It's rather simple. You will turn around and leave. If you don't, I will take out your men. And then, when only you are left, we will have some fun. I will shatter your kneecaps, your elbows, maybe your ankles and wrists as well. Then I will personally drag you down this mountain. We've passed a cazadore nest on our way here. And the poison burns, believe me. I will leave you, just close enough that they'll notice you after a while. Cazadore's prefer their meals dead, so they will only sting you, then leave you for later. And while the poison starts to kick in, and you become delirious and unable to move, I will be watching and I will enjoy your screams. You'll be begging for death for hours before the neurotoxin really starts working and you suffocate. Now, I'm asking you nicely, and I'll only do that once. Will you leave?"

The mercenary stared down at the girl. She was standing right in front of him and to make true on her threat, she'd have to take out his men in seconds. She had a rifle, but it was on her back. Her hand was still on her gun though, and she had an elite sniper with her.  
Would she be actually able to do the things she had described?  
The look in her eyes certainly suggested so.

"I've always known when to fight and when to back down, and it seems to me that I ought to back down this time. My men and I are leaving. You won't see us around here again."

He turned and left, not quite running but definitely faster than walking. Sian watched him jog away with a nasty little smirk. His men followed after him, and only when they turned the corner, did she allow herself to relax, the smirk on her face turning into a happy little smile.

"Geez, this was fun.. I ought to threaten people more often."

She and Boone started walking back towards the small town and he threw a sideways glance at her.

"You're fucking terrifying sometimes, you know that? Creative, but scary.." He looked down and sighed.

"So, Marcus was right. They were NCR. Damn.. Why would they do this?"

Sian's eyes darkened. It must be sucky to see the system you supported to things like that. Sian only felt strengthened in her doubt toward the NCR.

"I don't know what to tell you. A friend told me that the Republic is a corrupt hive of bureaucrats and politicians. Here, we have some Brahmin farmers sending hitmen over the border to harass and assault citizens of Nevada. I know you're NCR all the way, but this was disgusting. And it wasn't right. The mutants here don't hurt anyone. And they could've killed the mercs' easily, but they didn't. They just wanna live in peace."

Boone listened to her and sight again. It was frustrating, but she was right.

"Let's not talk about this now.."

Sian relented. She'd address the topic again at another time.  
The two companions went to tell Marcus that they would be left in peace now and went to check on Rex.  
It took two more hours, but the dog was finally awake and well again. He jumped at Sian, nearly knocking her to the ground and barked happily, tail wagging. The girl was glad. Rexxy was fine and they could finally get out of this quaint, weird place.  
Marcus invited them to stay the night, But Sian and Boone decided to walk through the night. They both wanted to leave this place as quick as possible.  
The blue haired girl promised Marcus that she'd visit when she found the time´again and the small group made for Vegas, the canines chasing each other all the way.


	14. Chapter 13

**AN: After I have been asked for a good story in a PM, I oblige :)  
** **If you're looking for a well-written story about Fallout, and have enjoyed the Capitol Wasteland, I recommend**

 **Legacy Of The Capitol by** **XxNightAngelusxX**

 **You will enjoy this story regardless, but if you're a fan of Charon, you'll definetly like it.  
Just check it out, and if you really like it, don't feel shy about showing the appreciation ^^ **

Si vis pacem Chapter 13

The small group of three people had left the Fort before sunrise. Vulpes wanted to get this over with as soon as possible, but it was over 200 miles to Zion. He would be walking, at least for a week, through deserts, mountains, woods and hard-to-traverse ridges, areas infested with Profligates, Deathclaws and Yao Guais, all in the company of two men he didn't particularly like. He felt like he deserved pity from someone.  
They were dressed in simple leather combat armour, so as not to draw attention to themselves when they passed by Boulder City and later, Bitter Springs.

Vulpes was thinking back to the discussion in Caesar's tent the evening before.  
He was to take two Frumentarii of his choice and lead them to Utah, and on the way there, make very clear what would await them for failure. He himself was to meet with the war-chief of the Whitelegs and instruct them on how to crush their opponents, then head back to the Mojave. Secretly, he was grateful that the task of assassinating Graham was not his. The young man would not have known how. He could do it, and probably even succeed, but this wasn't a matter of skills, but of willingness. And no matter that Graham had lead the Legion to their defeat at Hoover Dam, he still had taught Vulpes much of what he knew today. As protégé of the Legate, it had been clear from the beginning that the young boy would become one of the leaders of the Legion. Even with his ruthlessness, the Fox thought it dishonourable, even downright sickening to even consider killing the man who made him.

Which is why he had chosen these two particular Frumentarii to accompany him to Utah. They weren't his best men, nor did he like them.  
The smaller one, Crassus, was carrying a heavy bag on his back, containing Vulpes' armour. The man was such a terrible suck-up, the leader of the Frumentarii never even had to order him to lug the the heavy garments across the desert. And while the respect, and often times fear, of his men stroked his ego, brown-nosing was disgusting and, quite frankly, pathetic to watch.

The other, Lucanus, was just as bad but in a different way. He had his eye on the leadership position and made no secret of it. But he had neither the dedication, nor the intelligence or cunning to achieve it. Lucanus did have an annoying habit of challenging his every decision though. That annoying trait made him perfect for this mission.  
The old leader of Caesar's spies would have never allowed these men to keep their positions, but Vulpes ran things differently.

Having nothing better to do as they passed through Boulder City, he thought about his rise through the ranks.  
After he had recovered from his near-crucifixion, Caesar had made him a Frumentarius because of Vulpes' tactical knowledge and general cunning. His superior officer at that time had been Tacitus, a quiet man, very soft-spoken. Vulpes had never figured out if the older man had enjoyed torturing or not. He'd been incredibly efficient, but he never did seem to utilize the skill that much. But Vulpes had learned a lot from him. The young man's natural cruel streak and his ability to see even the most gruesome missions through, quickly made him a favourite of Tacitus'. He was often favoured with assignments.

Vulpes' thoughts drifted to the disastrous mission that had lead to him becoming head of the Frumentarii.  
A year ago, Tacitus had chosen him to accompany the older man on a mission to California. They had been tasked with stealing important Intel on NCR presence at the Dam and in the Mojave in general. After three months of deep cover in enemy territory, Vulpes found and assassinated a man of General Oliver's security detail, finding out guard changes and codewords before he allowed his victim to die.  
Inside, he was overjoyed, but on the outside he maintained the facade that was expected of him. And that's when things started to go horribly wrong...

Vulpes made it back to their hideout-flat, bursting with pride at his accomplishment and when he turned the last corner, had flattened himself against the wall. Tacitus was being led out of the building by armed troopers and the Fox's first instinct was to rush in, with his crappy 9MM, and shoot every single profligate in sight.

 _ **Never compromise your cover. Never, under any circumstances whatsoever, sacrifice your mission.**_

Tacitus had drilled this into his head from the very first day. Peering around the corner, he saw that there were too many opponents for him to handle. He bit back a curse as he watched his superior officer be led away. Tacitus' hands were bound, but he was standing tall and Vulpes saw the small cut on his throat. The profligates had gotten him before he could end his own life. For now, he had no choice but to slip away. He'd get the stupid folder with Intel himself and then, by rights, he should head back to the base camp in the Mojave.

"Sir, we're approaching Bitter Springs. Ranger Station Bravo is close by."

Vulpes snapped back to reality when Lucanus spoke to him. He hadn't realized how far they had walked already. It wasn't noticeable yet, but evening was descending on the Mojave. He squinted to the west. _A few more hours until it's dark enough..._

"Thank you for that keen observation, Lucanus," Vulpes couldn't help snarking at the man, "Find a sheltered spot. We will wait for the cover of darkness."

When his men acquiesced, the Fox bared his teeth in a predatory grin. The night would enshroud them from the Rangers, but not the critters.

"We will have to be on the lookout for Deathclaws and Cazadors, so stay vigilant. You're of no use to me dead."

The grin turned smug when his men paled.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sian and Boone walked through the night and didn't talk much. While they were still traipsing down the mountain, Boone told the girl what to avoid when travelling at night.  
Some things, like how far voices travel at night,seemed weird to her, but she decided to trust him on it. The sniper also showed her how to hold a cigarette so the red glow wouldn't give you away and how to field-strip them when you were done.  
Sian didn't smoke much, certainly not as much as him, but it was good to know.  
About an hour later, Boone commented on her strange walk, which Sian found very confusing. But he insisted she walked differently than him.

"See, I step on my heel first, but you, you kinda step on you sole first. I noticed it on the way here, but I didn't see what it was until now. Looks uncomfortable."

Sian looked at her feet as she walked a few steps. He was right, but it definitely wasn't uncomfortable. She tried mimicking his heavy steps, firmly planting the heel of her boot to the ground. It felt unnatural and after a few steps it began to hurt all the way up to her spine. The girl suddenly felt uneasy and noticed with a start, she was hearing her own footsteps. Well, this just wouldn't do.

"Walking like you do is uncomfortable. I think I'll just keep my weird walk, thank you very much. It's quieter than yours anyway."

"Yeah, you like sneaking up on people, I noticed.."

Sian didn't answer, just smiled impishly, and they continued walking. Not much of interest happened until they passed the same destroyed caravan they'd seen before.  
Sian experienced a fleeting moment of panic when a huge Cazador shot out behind it.  
Rex charged at the monstrosity and sank his fangs into its body, just as two gunshots rang through the night. Boone's .308 lodged firmly into the Cazador's right wing joint while Sian's bullet veered off course and just blew a hole through the left wing. But the mutant couldn't fly away any longer and Rex tore it apart.  
They walked faster after that. Sian was tired and her side was hurting again, and Boone had gone too long on too little sleep as well. Both just wanted to make it back to Vegas so they could finally rest.  
The sun was starting to creep over the Mojave when they reached the Freeside gates. Sian grabbed Aurelio and placed him in her messenger bag again. She wondered what to do with the small nighstalker when he didn't fit in her bag any more. But she didn't dwell on it. She was tired, Boone was tired, even the damn dog was tired. When they had finally made it back, they found the first unoccupied room at the King's school, Rex ran off to find the King, and Boone and Sian just crashed onto the bed, both of them dead to the world immediately.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **THUMP**

"Get up, sleepyheads! Get up! Get up! Get up!"

Sian awoke with a start, disorientated and still half-asleep, to find Veronica bouncing around on the bed. She pushed herself up, but the other girl's elbow landed between her shoulder blades and she gave up, flopping back on her stomach.  
Boone wasn't having it though. After a particularly violent jump, he caught the scribe around the waist and tossed her off the bed.  
Veronica landed on the floor with a thud, giving an indignant little yelp and a much deeper laugh sounded from the door.  
Sian pushed herself up once again and squinted in that general direction, bleary-eyed, and saw the King laughing at them. Rex was at his side and Sian figured why the older man was in such a good mood. She gave him a goofy grin and climbed over Boone, her movements still somewhat uncoordinated, then flopped to the ground to sit beside Veronica.  
Rex came bounding over, showering her with affection and some very slobbery kisses.

"Morning Blue, saw y'fixed up my old Rexxie. Wanted to come say thank-you but y'were in a different world entirely." He smiled down at the girl, who scratching Rex just where his organic ear began. "Rexxie here likes ya a lot. Been whining in front o'that door for hours."

Sian had her arms full of excited cyberdog and she felt happy. Seeing him roll around on her lap gave her the same feeling she had when she was playing with Aurelio.  
It was a sense of security and a vague feeling of deja-vu. The girl didn't even care when Rex's wet tongue licked across her face again. She was just happy that he was happy.

But then her thoughts started to wander back to the mercenaries at Jacobstown.

She had meant every word she said to the man, and she knew she was capable of doing it. But now, with Rex laying in her lap and Aurelio coming to join the fun, she felt disgusted. Not at the fact that she could've done it, but that she had wanted the merc to fight so she could torture him.  
She maintained a friendly conversation with the King while she grabbed her stuff, placed Aurelio back in her bag, and he told her to visit Mick and Ralph's for the Strip passes.  
Sian managed to convince Boone and Veronica that she'd be fine on her own, although the sniper only relented when the King told her to take Rex along. Insisted the dog didn't get enough exercise.  
The girl threw him a grateful smile, she knew he was just saying that to get Boone of her case. Quickly, before he could find another reason to not let her wander off on her own, Sian left the school and head west toward Mick and Ralph's.  
At the store, she told Ralph that the King had sent her and ordered three passes for Strip.

"Three passes, King's discount.. Eh, let's say 600 and we're good."

Sian dug through her bag. She had those caps. After random finds and small payments she'd received, the girl had about 1400 caps. But she purposefully pulled out the smaller pouch. Looking at Ralph with wide eyes, she didn't even have to think about what to say or what tone to use, it came naturally.

"The King said I'd be able to pay for them. I only have 400 caps. Could you.. could you make an exception? Just this once, please?"

Ralph stared up at the girl. He was a business man through and through, but there was something about her. That pretty face gazing down at him, his thoughts wandered a bit.  
But seeing Rex quickly shook him out of it. Girl had the King's favour, meant she was off limits. The dark-haired man heaved a sigh.

"Fine. Gimme the 400 and come pick up the passes tomorrow." Ralph tried to grumble, but when she smiled and thanked him profusely, he just couldn't. He smiled right back.

Sian wandered around Freeside and thought about the mercenaries again. She tried to shove these thoughts away, but they wouldn't leave her alone. She needed to talk to someone. But who? Boone was out of the question, she didn't know Veronica all that well and Sian didn't know who else to ask. But when she looked up, she saw the Mormon Fort.  
Arcade was a doctor and doctors talked to people when they had problems, right? Would she be able to talk to a stranger? She didn't even know what to say to him.  
 _I enjoyed imaging horrific torture, am I insane? Doesn't sound so good, does it?_

She wandered throughout the Fort and found the blonde doctor in one of the tents at the back. The girl stepped through the opening soundlessly and addressed him in a soft voice.

"Hey, Arcade.. You have some time to spare? I could really use someone to talk to right now.."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Boone dragged himself out of bed shortly after Sian left. His rifle needed some repairs and he might as well get them out of the way soon. He noticed Veronica was still sitting on the floor. He couldn't just leave, could he?

"Hey. I'm gonna head to the Gun Runners. Wanna come?"

"Sure! Never bought anything from them before but I heard their inventory is amazing."

Veronica jumped to her feet, and trailed after him, leaving him alone as they walked out of Freeside. She and Boone hadn't talked that much yet, but she was looking forward to it. He tried to be all stone-cold all the time, Veronica wasn't buying it however. There was compassion underneath the rock-hard exterior, she had seen it the day they met when he'd looked after Sian's wound. He had been so careful without even noticing it.  
And the girl? She was definitely something else. Maybe Sian would be able to help her with this problem she'd been pondering over. But she would need to find the right time to discuss the problem.  
But now was not the time to think about it. They were not far from the Vendor's shack now and Boone was already going through his pockets for caps.  
Veronica looked down at the metal contraption encasing her hand.

 _Could use a few new chromed tubes.. Can hardly see mine under all the rust. Let's go shopping!_

Boone let Veronica talk to the Vendortron first and checked the weapons laid out behind him. He just wanted an extended magazine for his hunting rifle but it never hurt to see what best weapon suppliers in the Mojave had available. That was when he saw it.  
A beautiful, sleek rifle, with an unusually long barrel and a fine wooden veneer covering the grip. The little cardboard sign next to it said it was an Anti-materiel rifle and that it cost over 5,000 caps...  
 _Something to save up for. I'm_ getting _that rifle._

Veronica bought her modifications and when Boone didn't step up to make his purchase, she threw a glance and caught him staring at a rifle like it was a piece of meat.  
She raised her brows and cleared her throat, getting his attention quickly.  
Boone flinched and Veronica started laughing when he actually blushed the slightest bit. The man growled as he pushed past her and bought a modification kit to extend his magazine capacity.  
The walked back and sat down near the gates of Freeside and started to work on their respective projects in silence for a while.

"So, Boone... What made you team up with Sian? You two don't seem like a natural fit.."

"Just happened," Boone grunted out the answer, not wanting to discuss this in detail, but Veronica gazed at him expectantly. "She helped me out with something. And I couldn't let her leave on her own. She was hurt, would've probably been eaten by a Gecko or something.."

Veronica smiled. Of course he tried to play it off. But he cared, it was plain as day. Maybe he'd speak more openly day. But today was not it. The scribe was done with her modifications and saw that Boone was having some trouble attaching the new magazine. He probably knew what he was doing but she still leaned over. He still needed to file away some of the edges and Veronica saw why he had trouble with it right away.

"Here, let me. My hands are smaller than yours, I can get it done quicker."

Boone handed her his rifle and watched her work, a lot faster than he had been. After he was satisfied that she actually knew what she was doing, he laid back in the burnt grass, his head resting on his interlocked hands.  
A couple of days ago, he had just been a retired 1st Recon sniper, whose wife had been abducted and who had been doing his damnedest to drink himself to death.  
And then, this blue-haired game-changer had walked into town. Well, dragged herself and her friend.

 _Why did I even follow her? She helped me, but I offered to pay and be done with it. Maybe because she didn't question it? Because she didn't accept the caps?  
No, that's not it and you know it. You followed her because she gave a damn, because she bothered you to find out what happened. You followed her because she was nice to you and looked like she needed help. Because letting her go off on her own, would've been an absolute dick-move. Now, you're stuck with her.  
Stuck with this girl with the big blue eyes, an air of innocence and a weird propensity for violence._

Boone thought on this for a while. It seemed the Brotherhood scribe now belonged to their little team as well. She was a bit quirky, but nice enough. He'd get used to both girls eventually, and he was honest enough to admit to himself, he did enjoy the company.  
In the last few days he'd been drinking less, walking more and feeling better than he had in ages.

Veronica was done filing and wanted to give Boone his rifle back, but when she was about to speak to him, the words caught in her throat.  
He was stretched out on the ground, eyes closed and the faintest smile on his face. Completely zoned out.  
The scribe grabbed the new magazine and started attaching it, intent on letting him just be relaxed for once.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sian led Arcade to the Atomic Wrangler. He followed her a bit reluctantly but she had outright refused to talk to him at the Mormon Fort, and she did look like she needed someone to listen to whatever her problems were.  
Arcade wasn't good at this, never had been, but this Sian seemed like a nice kid and she had looked so lost when she came to him. He had found himself unable to refuse.  
Now, the blonde man watched with interest as she was greeted enthusiastically by the proprietor, James Garret, talked to him for a moment and then weaved through the crowd and found them a table where they'd be left alone.  
After the two got seated, Garrett came by their table and placed a bottle of good whiskey and two tumblers upon it's relatively clean surface. Rex had trailed after her and laid down at her feet.

The girl poured some whiskey in the glasses, downed hers and filled it again.  
Arcade took a sip of his own amber liquid and watched her intently. She looked tired. No, scratch that, she looked exhausted.

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

Sian stared at him for a moment, seemingly having forgotten why he was here. Arcade felt like he could drown in those dark blue eyes of hers.  
The girl steeled herself. It felt incredibly wrong, baring her thought and feelings to a stranger. She tried to speak several times but no words would come.  
It took a second tumbler of whiskey to loosen her tongue enough.  
But then, the words spilled from her like a tidal wave.

"Boone and I took care of some mercenaries in Jacobstown and I told the leader what I'd do to him if he wouldn't leave. And I promised him some awful things. That I'd shatter his kneecaps and elbows, leave him for dead by a Cazador nest and listen to his screams. And I was going to do it. They were harassing good people... mutants.. -Whatever! They were trying to provoke them into attacking so they'd have a good reason to wipe everyone out. And for some lousy caps, because some crappy NCR-Brahmin-fuckers thought that having money gives you the right to be an asshole."

She hardly took time to breathe while she spoke. Arcade was listening while he nursed his beverage. The amount of violence she was willing to use was surprising, but thugs harassing innocent citizens always had to count on someone coming along who would put them in their place. He was about to say exactly that when the girl caught her breath and divulged the root of the problem.

"The scary part is that I was excited. I wanted him to fight me so I could do these things to him. And this is not the first time this happened. I fought some thugs in Primm and Goodsprings and I enjoyed killing them. Seeing them bleed made me happy and I just didn't want to stop. I don't know what I was like before, I don't know what I was taught to do, if I was taught anything at all. But when I fight, I know exactly where to strike to kill and where to strike to simply hurt. When I see blood, it's like there's this thing inside me, some kind of beast and it tears at me, trying to get out. And the one time it escaped, it was bad. I.. It... it was like I completely frenzied. I can hardly remember what I did. Just that when everything cleared up, the thugs were dead, I was covered in blood and was disappointed that it was already over. I don't know how to keep this in all the time. It's like there's two people inside of me and I don't know what to do.. Sometimes I feel like I'm insane."

The girl's voice had gotten softer and softer as she spoke until it was barely a whisper. The blonde doctor also noticed how shiny her eyes had gotten, but Sian refused to let herself cry. The bottle was half gone by now, but she poured herself another generous amount of alcohol and downed half the tumbler in one go.  
Whiskey was making talking a lot easier she noticed. And her head felt so nice and light.  
Arcade watched her with unease, not sure if he should cut her off soon. What she had revealed to him was unusual, and he was not sure how to deal with it. His gaze wandered to the fresh scars on her hairline. Had those bullets made her violent? Or did they cover it up most of the time? Could this girl, this sweet-looking girl, really be dangerous?  
But when she looked up again and her eyes locked onto his, he sighed.  
He switched seats, took the chair next to her and hesitantly laid an arm around her shoulders. She flinched a bit at the contact but to both of their surprise, she leaned against him.

"Listen, I'm not sure what to tell you. Maybe you've learned this violence before, maybe you haven't. You have a chance at a fresh start now, believe me, many people would kill for that. I get that this situation is probably terrifying for you, and that you don't understand yourself at times, but you've done a lot of good for the relations between Freeside and the NCR. You helped the citizens of Jacobstown. You went out of your way to fix the King's dog. You're a good person. Perhaps you weren't before, but that doesn't matter now. What matters is who you choose to be. Your actions define you and around here, you're well liked. I don't think you have to worry so much. Maybe you were just trained to defend yourself and now, because you've forgotten that, it's seems like excessive violence to you. Give it some time, I'm sure that those feelings will stop. And if you need someone to talk to, you can always talk to me, okay?"

He gave her shoulders a squeeze and Sian smiled at him. She really needed to hear these things. Arcade had been the right choice and the girl was glad she could apparently trust her gut when she wasn't sure how to proceed.  
The tall blonde poured out the last of the whiskey and waved for another bottle. He felt that a night out drinking might be exactly what the girl needed. He toasted her and almost spat out a mouthful of liquor when a heavy hand fell on his shoulder.

"Andy! I almost didn't come over here, wasn't sure if it was you. But that grin is unmistakeable. Are you flying both ways now? And here I thought I was special."

A very visibly drunk man stood at their table. He didn't look all that bad and the grin he was giving Arcade was clearly supposed to look seductive. Arcade on the other hand looked horrified and very flustered. He threw a furtive look at Sian, who was seemingly amused at this turn of events.

"Uhm, I'm sorry, but you've got the wrong guy. I... I don't know who you are, sorry."

The words came out so fast, neither Sian or the strange man understood everything. But she saw that her new friend was rather embarrassed and looked like he wanted to die. So she leant forward, resting her head on her hand. She grinned at the stranger when she addressed him.

"Sorry, buddy, but you really got the wrong guy, trust me. But I'm sure if you look around a bit you'll find someone who'll make you feel 'special'."

A quiet understanding passed between the two and the inebriated stranger winked at her and left. Arcade let out a relived sigh. Sian wasn't done yet, however.

"Andy? You usually go around and give people wrong names? And don't even try telling me that you don't know him! It's obvious. So, he a good hook-up?"

Arcade looked hilarious. Mouth and eyes torn open and face beet-red. Sian couldn't hold back anymore and started laughing and Arcade just joined right in. It was like some kind of dam had broken. All the bad feelings were flooded away and the two of them spent the next hour gossiping and rating the hotness of the people around them.  
They were nearly done with their second bottle of whiskey when a very angry Boone stormed in, followed by Veronica, who looked slightly worried but relaxed at the sight of the now familiar blue hair.

"What the hell is wrong with you? We've been looking for you for hours!"

Boone was very angry, but Sian wasn't fazed at all by him. She just giggled, taking another swig of whiskey.

"Oooh, come on. I get to have some fun once in a while! Don't be such a grump all the time. Sit! Drink something with us and have some fun for a change. You're always frowning. Why are you frowning, Boone? Vero! Vero, come here! The whiskey's amazing, you have to try!"

Boone and Veronica shared a look. Sian was drunk and any scolding would just wash right over her. The sniper gave a frustrated growl and rubbed his face over his hand.  
The blonde one was a doctor for crying out loud! Why would he let her get so drunk.  
Veronica sat down next to Arcade and Boone felt Sian's small hand close around his wrist and she pulled him to a seat with surprising force. He gave up. Waving at Garret, Boone ordered some more drinks and just decided to go with it for now. He leaned over to Sian and spoke to her quietly.

"Don't just run off again. I.. we were.. worried when we couldn't find you."

Sian gave him a reassuring squeeze, her hand resting on his forearm for a couple of seconds.

"Don't you worry about me. I always find a way to deal with whatever comes up."

The unlikely group of people sat at that table for hours, drinking, laughing and swapping stories. They even managed to draw some smiles from Boone to Sian's delight. He was far to serious most of the time. But around four in the morning. Sian and Arcade were absolutely wasted and Boone and Veronica were pretty drunk as well.  
Sian was dozing, her head resting on Boone's shoulder and Arcade and Veronica were giggling at some private joke.  
Garrett came over and offered them a room, only one unfortunately, but a rather big one and Boone took him up on it.  
He practically threw Sian over his shoulder, which elicited some more drunken laughter from her and hoisted Arcade up by the arm.  
Veronica and Rex followed him up the stairs and they found their room for the night. It was as dingy as the last one he'd been in, but Boone noticed the bed was a lot larger than those he knew.  
The blonde doctor jerked out of his grip and collapsed onto the bed, Veronica jumping in right after.  
The burly sniper dropped Sian on the mattress. He looked down at the three and snorted.

 _Lightweights.._

He was looking around him, trying to spot the cleanest patch of floor and didn't notice the look that passed between the girls. With a devilish grin, they darted forward, each grabbing one of his wrists.

"You're not sleeping on the floor, dipshit!" Sian voice was slurred and she couldn't focus on him anymore, but Veronica still could.

"Yeah! He gave us this probably custom bed so we all could sleep. Don't be a martyr."

Still laughing, they pulled him backwards. Arcade was dead to the world and didn't move, Boone couldn't. Before he could even come up with any kind of response, both girls laid down again, and he found himself with a head on each shoulder.  
The alcohol did the rest and both Sian and Veronica were fast asleep within minutes.  
Boone fought an internal battle, debating whether or not to get up. He could've shrugged them off, the man sincerely doubted they would pull him back again. But he didn't move. The fact that they wanted to be near him was strange. Boone knew that he wasn't the most social person and he was fine with the fact that most people didn't bother to speak with him or make the effort to make him in any way comfortable. This was really a novelty to him. He drifted asleep over these thoughts, before he had even decided if this was nice, or just plain strange.


	15. Chapter 14

Si vis pacem Chapter 14

It was mid-morning before Sian woke up. She was nauseous and felt a bit dizzy, but she didn't have a headache like the last time she drank this amount.  
She did however notice how very warm it was. She was squished to Boone's side, Rex was lying over her legs and Aurelio had freed himself during the night and was now curled up on Boone's stomach. Eddie was sitting on the dresser, having found his way here sometime during the night. Sian couldn't remember when.  
The girl propped herself up on her elbow and saw Veronica and Arcade sleeping next to each other, his arms around her.

 _Gah. Adorable. Now, what's today? Strip passes, then go see where that weasel holed himself up... Sounds like a plan!_

"Get up! We have stuff to do!"

She punched Boone on the shoulder and laughed when he blinked himself awake, stared down at Aurelio, back at her and heaved a large yawn.  
 _Such a simple man,_ she mused with a smile. Rex jumped off of her and was soon joined by the small nightstalker, both of them running amok in the small room which in turn woke Veronica and Arcade.  
Sian was the first to head out of the room, after she grabbed her bag and holstered up her weapons, closely followed by her two canines.  
Francine Garrett was downstairs and astonishingly didn't make a fuss about the nightstalker in her bar. The blue-haired girl ordered a cold NukaCola to help with the waking process and waited for her friends to show up.  
Meanwhile, she and Francine chatted a bit, the woman at the bar mentioning that she had some problems with debt collection.

"I'll look into that when I find the time, maybe I can convince them that paying is less detrimental to their health"

"Ha! I like you, kid! If you get me my caps back, there's something in it for you."

Sian had a little grin on her face. It was extremely easy to get people around here to like her. Collecting some overdue tabs should not be that hard. While Sian got some details on the people she was supposed to find, her companions came down the stairs with varying levels of hangover.  
Boone was quiet, like always, but seemed fine. He ordered his coffee and just sat there, waiting to be told what to do. Veronica looked worse, pale and shaky, but she managed a smile and a thank-you when Sian wordlessly handed her a NukaCola. Arcade, however...  
He was a train-wreck. Last night, while Sian had slowed her drinking with the arrival of the other two, Arcade had really gotten going.  
Boone took one look at the other man and shoved his second coffee at him.  
While Arcade was doing his best to raise himself from the dead, Sian told Veronica and Boone what they had to do today.  
As soon as she mentioned staking out the man who shoot her, both her companions were on their feet, ready to go. Their enthusiasm disconcerted Sian a bit, but she decided not to dwell on it. They said their goodbyes to Arcade and head over to pick up the passes from Ralph, the little robot hovering a foot above them, turning in all directions.  
The shop owner offered to show her the strip, but backed off quickly with Boone's death glare upon him. Veronica ushered the younger girl out of the store. Sian, in her obliviousness, hadn't even noticed the exchange.  
The scribe and the blue-haired girl wondered what the famed Strip would look like, neither of them having been there before. Boone trailed behind them and said nothing. Let them have their excitement. Let them have the thrill of a night out gambling and drinking. The sounds and lights of New Vegas were dazzling, overwhelming and enticing, but superficial. But the girls didn't need to hear that.  
He remembered wondering the exact same things on his first visit.  
And he remembered how the illusions shattered. The man's thoughts started to spiral south and Sian turned to him, flashing a bright smile. It was like she felt the shift in his mood without even looking at him. The girl skipped back the few paces to him and started chattering away, about how she'd invite them all out for drinks once Benny was dealt with. He listened with one ear, occasionally nodding, his thoughts now back on the task at hand. Get the rat who tried to kill the girl beside him. Glancing over at her, he still found it hard to believe. Boone had seen how cruel she could be by now, but in moments like this, when she was carefree and happy, Sian was a child. She hadn't said much about how it happened and he was pretty sure he couldn't picture it, even if he were to try. All he needed to know, was that this kid, who was now his partner, had a score to settle.

At the gate, Sian showed the passes to the Securitron greeter without hesitation. He scanned them and promptly waved them through. Ralph did know his business.  
When they finally passed the Strip gate, Sian's sharp blue eyes caught everything. All the lights, the dressed-up gamblers and many, many drunk troopers. It was a lot to take in.  
She did however notice the Securitron approaching her, right away. She knew that stupid cowboy face

"Well howdy partner! And here I thought you might skip out on the boss man's offer... but here ya' are. Quite a sight ain't it? Welcome to New Vegas. Boss man's waitin' for ya'."

"Victor. What are you talking about? What offer? And who's the boss man?" Sian was seriously annoyed. Victor had creeped her out from the beginning and she liked him even less when she had no idea what he was talking about.

"The Boss man-y'know, Robert House, fat cat who runs all of Vegas-he'd like a word with ya' in private, partner. Consider me your official welcome wagon."

"Yeah well, you can tell the 'Boss man' no can do. I've got business to attend to. Now, if you'd excuse me, I gotta be somewhere else."

"I wouldn't turn down this opportunity, partner. You'd be the first person to set foot in the ol' 38 in 200 years, and the Boss man don't make a habit outta screwin' over his employees. Whatever he wants from ya', you can bet yer bottom dollar that it'll be worth yer time."

Sian had already turned to step around the giant robot when she stopped dead in her tracks and stared at Victor.

"Employee? I was supposed to deliver to him?" The girl looked down and added in a low murmur, "Could he know who I am?"

She was thinking. Benny, dead before her on the ground, that was what she wanted but this was an opportunity. Well, maybe it was, but she had to find out right? She had to be sure, had to find out all there was to know.  
Sian always brushed any thoughts of her past aside, deciding not to dwell on something she could not change. And she tried not to get her hopes up, logically she knew the chances of House knowing who she was were slim, but she couldn't. The decision was made, there was no way in hell she wouldn't try to find out, even if she was grasping at straws.  
Boone and Veronica watched the girl, her face showing her reluctance to follow the robot. But it passed instantaneously and her eyes turned hard.

"This better be worth my time, Victor."

She motioned for her companions to follow and Victor lead them over to the grand tower that was the Lucky 38. The doors creaked open and the people around them looked awestruck. Sian didn't care either way, she decided to do this but her feet moved slowly, reluctantly.  
Once inside, Victor told her that she would be the only one to see house. Even Rex, Aurelio and Eddie had to stay behind. With a scowl, she handed her nighstalker to Boone.

"See you guys in a bit."

Veronica stepped up, looking worried.

"Sian, this sounds weird. Why can't we come with you?"

Sian stepped into the elevator and gave them a wry smile. Didn't make the scribe's face less worried or Boone's posture more relaxed.

"Don't worry, Vero. I'll be back down before you know it. Maybe one of the tin cans here can mix a drink."

It worked like a charm and Sian could hear Veronica's laughter when the doors slid closed. The ride up to the penthouse took forever, but thankfully not long enough for her thoughts to become too muddled. She didn't know what to expect. She had heard snippets about Vegas' elusive ruler here and there, but she had never thought she'd meet him so she forgot most of it on the spot. Now she was frantically trying to dig that information out of the recesses of her mind.  
She'd heard that House had been around longer than anyone could remember.  
Nobody ever saw him or entered the Lucky 38 in ages.  
His Securitrons were everywhere.  
Nobody knew what he actually wanted.

Not very comforting..  
The ride was over too soon, she wasn't ready, and she felt anxious about going into a situation while knowing so little about her adversary. But when the doors opened and Victor yelled "Penthouse floor!" the girl took a deep breath and walked in calmly.  
She didn't stop when an even creepier robot than Victor greeted her and told her to go straight on through. As she walked, Sian noticed the view she had from up here and almost tripped. She hadn't realized how high up she was.  
 _Focus, you idiot! God, you really have the attention span of a gnat! You're about to meet the elusive leader of the biggest settlement of the Mojave and you're marvelling at the view?_

Sian pushed aside the cloth obstructing the doorway and found herself in front of an enormous screen with a matching enormous and static face upon it.  
The girl stared at it in awe. She had not expected _this_...  
The screen flickered black for a second before he -or it- addressed her.

"This meeting has been a long time coming, hasn't it? You've come a long ways, literally and, I suspect, figuratively as well."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"I have just been informed of the most interesting news, and purely by chance, as well."

Caesar was lounging on his elaborate chair at the table in his tent. He had called a few select members of his Legion to discuss a new development that needed to be evaluated. Lucius was there, with some of the smarter elite Praetorian guards. Alerio was there in Vulpes' stead, and he had brought along one of the younger recruits who needed to learn to take part in these consultations.  
Currently the young recruit with the sand-coloured hair sat on his place and tried not to make eye contact with anyone. He was used to dealing with the other Frumentarii by now, could even speak almost casually with Vulpes, but this was different and Syrus was deadly afraid of speaking out of turn.

"Please, Lord Caesar, share the news with us."

"It's nice to see you so eager, Alerio. Well then, as you know, Carl is on the way to Red Rock Canyon and has stayed in Vegas for the night. Before his departure today he witnessed something so unusual, he felt the need to report back immediately. Unfortunately, he needs to meet the Khans and cannot stay to observe the situation."

Caesar watched his men who were listening with rapt attention. If the news weren't that important, he would have enjoyed the strained silence in the air. None of his Legionaries spoke up, though he could see they all wanted to.  
He suddenly missed Vulpes, who, with his usual lack of obedience, would have tipped his chair back and simply asked the question burning on everyone's mind. In the absence thereof, he leaned forward and rested his arms on the wooden surface.

"Someone has been invited into the Lucky 38 and has been granted an audience with the leader of New Vegas, Robert House. This is unprecedented. We _need_ to find out more, meet this person, if possible."

It was Lucius who spoke up first, in his calm, even voice.

"What do we know about this person? What makes him so special?"

"Well, first of all, it's not a him, but a her. Carl says it was a very young, very pretty woman, almost a girl still. I was told her hair is her most distinguishing feature. Dark blue like the night sky."

Syrus head shot up before he could stop himself. He had dreamt of her the night before, their first encounter in Nipton. _My name is Sian, by the way...  
_ All eyes were on him now and Caesar watched him with raised brows.

"Is there something you would like to contribute? Something of value, I hope?"

The young man's throat was dry as if he had swallowed a handful of sand. He didn't know how much he could say and decided to stick to the essentials.

"I know this girl. I met her after the raid in Nipton. She just passed through town on her way north. She asked me things about the Legion. Wanted to know who we are."

"Where did she spend her life? Underneath a rock?" One of the Praetorians threw in before he could stop himself. But he wasn't reprimanded. Every man at the table thought the same. Caesar sat a bit straighter. He had hardly taken notice of the boy before, didn't even know his name. Seems like might prove his usefulness sooner than expected.

"I would hope we haven't been so inefficient that there are people out there who have never heard of us" He started in an amused tone. "What is there to tell about this girl?"

"Well, she's either fearless, or she hides it very well. She walked into a burning town, surrounded by dead and dying and it didn't seem to bother her. When she spoke to me, she was.. respectful, but not subservient. She is intelligent, educated even. I could tell by the way she phrased her questions. We shared the same route for a while and I could see she is an able fighter." There was a little pause and Caesar was about to interrupt again, when Syrus continued speaking.

"She mentioned that she had some memory loss from a fresh head wound. She.. She was shot in the head. It sounds unbelievable, I know, but I saw the scars with my own eyes. She remembers nothing before the moment she was shot. But she told me that her name is Sian."

Silence followed his revelations. Everyone was watching the leader of the Legion who was deep in thought. His face remained stoic, unreadable. He was thinking about how to proceed. It was clear that he had to meet this girl. He would have to send one of his Frumentarii to the Strip. He looked up to meet the boy's eyes. He held the stare surprisingly well. The Frumentarius knew her already, and apparently they had gotten along. This would be a risk, the boy was still inexperienced.

"You will go and pack what you need, and get yourself profligate clothing. You leave for Vegas within the hour. Talk to this girl. You will give her my mark and escort her back to the Fort."

Lucius had gotten up at Caesar's words and rummaged in a trunk next to the bed. He returned to the table and handed the finely wrought golden chain to Syrus.  
The young man stood and waited to be dismissed.

"Alerio, let our Strip employee know that he is coming. She is to keep an ear out for news of the girl and report to him when he arrives. We need to know her every move. And you," he addressed Syrus now, "Carl said she's travelling with a woman and a man, he seems to be NCR, so be cautious with your approach. Do your job well, and it shall be rewarded."

Syrus closed his fist around the small pendant and pressed it against his breastplate. He inclined his head towards the son of Mars.

"Ave. True to Caesar."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Boone and Veronica stepped into the Highroller Suite, with the scribe commenting that Victor's volume was set far too high.  
Rex and Aurelio charged at the door across the elevator and they heard Sian's soft laughter when the cyberdog started scratching the door. Veronica entered the room, followed by Boone and their critters, biological, mechanical and otherwise.  
Sian sat with her back against the headboard on the bed, hugging her legs and resting her head on her knees. She looked to be deep in thought, her dark eyes looking at them, but not seeing.  
Her rifle, gun and machete were lying on the bed, as were her bag and jacket. The shawl she was always wearing lay in a heap on the desk with her aviators.

"Made yourself comfortable already, huh? Sheriff McTinCan told us House gave you the suite. What does he want in return?"

Veronica's voice shook her from whatever thoughts she was trapped in. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Rex came immediately and laid his head on her thigh. She scratched his ears and the dog whined in contentment.

"Obedience," she sighed and then stood to lead the others to the kitchen. She addressed the robot without looking at him. "Victor. Have a Securitron head over to the Old Mormon Fort and summon Dr. Arcade Gannon."

Sian sat at the kitchen table and motioned for Boone and Veronica to take a seat. Aurelio was placed in her lap and Rex never left her side. Veronica smiled at that.

 _Always with the animals. They really do love her..._

"I'm sure you guys wanna now everything and I'll tell you, don't worry. But I want to know what Arcade thinks of all of this and I really don't want to explain things twice. So, let me see if I can't find some food around here while we wait."

The girl placed her little mutant on the table and looked through the fridge. There was fresh meat in there...  
 _I see, I was expected. If it weren't so freaking convenient, I'd be outta here so fast. For now, however, I'd rather not be homeless..._

Sian grabbed a few slabs of Brahmin steak, and proceeded to cut up two steaks into chunks and piling them in a tin bowl for the canines. Rex came over and sat next to it when she placed it on the ground. Aurelio stood at the edge of the table, whining pitifully until Boone took mercy on the small nighstalker and placed him on the ground. Both her pets dug into the fresh meat.

Sian and Veronica chatted a bit about nothing in particular while the younger girl fried the meat and whipped up some Insta-Mash. Arcade showed up before she was done cooking and expressed his disbelief at House actually inviting _anyone_ into the Lucky 38.  
Sian brought the platter with steaks and a huge bowl of mash to the table which Veronica had set and Arcade joined them. He looked a lot better than that morning.  
Sian caught him up on why he was there as everyone filled their plates. In between bites, she started to explain what House had told her.

"So, it turns out this Poker chip I was carrying, is actually a data storage device. I'm not sure what's on it and House wasn't all that forthcoming with information. But he wants it back. He said he'll pay me, handsomely, for finally getting this delivery done and from what he said that chip should have been delivered before the Great War. Whatever is on this thing has to be important. And I have to admit, I'm intrigued. Bottom line is, House wants me to get his chip and deal with Benny. Any thoughts?"

There was a small silence around the table. They all suspected, with varying degrees of certainty, that Benny was a dead man. House's orders didn't make much difference on that front. Sian had also said she wanted to get her package back. This coincided with her plans anyway.  
Arcade took a swig of his drink and pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

"Nobody knows much of House or his plans, it's not surprising that he's not keen on revealing what the chip is supposed to do. But I can tell you one thing with definite certainty. It doesn't involve us. And by us, I don't mean you and your friends—I mean us in Freeside. Us in the wasteland. Whatever it is, it must be absolutely necessary for maintaining the order he has on the Strip. It's definitely not anything that's going to help anyone out there who's in need of help."

Veronica listened with amazement; things were very different on the outside than she'd previously thought. The powers of the Mojave were here in the clean suites and structured in high places of power, plotting against one another and intent on winning the game. The wasteland wasn't full of ignorant savages like she had always thought, like the Brotherhood made them out to be. No. The people on the outside were armed and organized. They would definitely give the Brotherhood a run for their money if they wanted to.

Boone, on the other hand, knew Vegas was a radscorpion nest and the only expression on his face was his usual stoic and grumpy one. He folded his arms and waited for someone to reach a conclusion.

Arcade rested his chin on his hands. His eyebrows went up as he looked at Sian expectantly, but she didn't answer right away.

Sian was battling with her own frustrations, and regardless of the alluring power play of Vegas, she wasn't able to focus on it just yet. To her disappointment, Mr. House didn't have any shred of information on her past. He was only aware of her job with the Mojave Express. The girl felt irritated with herself for getting her hopes up in the first place. Of course he didn't know about her past, he was too busy running an entire country. Probably thought the people around him were ants anyway. Why should he have known? And before she ever carried his platinum chip, why should he have cared?

"Sian." Arcade said softly, grasping her attention. "I know it's a lot to take in, but we've gotta figure out what you're going to do. What we're going to do. I don't know what you plan to do with Benny and that's all your business—but he knows what's on the platinum chip, otherwise he wouldn't have gone through the trouble of stealing it in the first place. Or trying to get you out of the picture. He's your key to figure out what's going on."

"Well duh, we all knew that already, egghead." Veronica said halfway jokingly. "But she obviously needs a way to get to him without him recognizing her. Ohhh…. Hmmmm… I think I have an idea."

The scribe glimpsed over at Sian with a devilish twinkle in her eye. "He's a sleezeball, right? I know the kind of bait he would go for. Attractive bait in a tight dress and showy cleavage."

"No." Arcade and Boone said simultaneously, then stared at one another. Boone was the first to catch himself.  
"She's not gonna be parading around like a whore. There must be other ways to get to him. We'll make a way if we have to."

Sian held up a hand to silence him and looked at Veronica with a confused expression. She didn't quite understand what the scribe meant.

"Could you explain that, Vero? I don't really understand what you mean by 'bait'."

Veronica looked at the girl and sighed. It seemed that Sian had absolutely no idea what kind of impact she had on men. She noticed that the girl was a bit clueless, when she hadn't understood what Ralph had wanted when he asked to show her the Strip.  
Time to lay some groundwork here.

"You're a pretty girl and running around the wasteland has given you a great body. If we wrap that in a pretty dress and highlight your assets, Benny won't take a second glance at your face. It's the easiest way you can get him alone. If he isn't a total perv, he'll send his bodyguards away before he makes a move. And that's when you've got him by the balls, quite literally."

Sian opened her mouth to speak, but Arcade beat her to it.

"No, you're not gonna... I don't..." Arcade sighed and glimpsed between everyone. It took him a moment to properly formulate his words.  
"Seriously, I'm not usually one for promoting violence first and foremost but I'll make an exception in this case. This man tried to kill you," He pointed a finger at Sian, "A random courier in the wasteland, just to get some financial edge on the strip. And instead of all of us going in headstrong and demanding some answers, you wanna wave her under his nose like she's a piece of meat?!" He glared at Veronica, his tone accusing. He threw is arms up with an exasperated sigh.  
"Really? _This_ is our best option?"

"Yeah, you're right. He stole from _me_. He tried to kill _me_. He is _mine_ to deal with and I decide _how_ I want to do that." Sian narrowed her bright eyes at him and her voice had become dangerously sharp.

"House said it's best to get him alone. And I agree. Going in there and confronting him in a group will turn out badly. I'm not having anyone else on their knees before him, waiting to die! It's not gonna happen, you understand?" She slammed her hands on the tabletop and her chair toppled over when she stood up abruptly.

"If this is the best way to get him alone, I'll do it. He didn't manage to kill me, he won't manage anything else."


	16. Chapter 15

**AN:** The very first thing I need to do, is give a big **THANK YOU** to my friend XxNightAngelusxX, who helped me write this. I had a bad case of "stupid" due to writers block :D  
Also, I'd **implore** you guys to give me some feedback on my story. I'd like to know if I'm doing a good job with this :)

 **Si vis pacem Chapter 15**

"I think black would suit you very nicely. You're crazy pale for a wastelander. Of course, red would be awesome but it would clash with your hair."

Veronica was digging through a display of dresses in a small store in Freeside. Arcade and Boone were back at the Lucky 38, plotting how to prevent the inevitable.  
Sian wasn't entirely confident that Vero's plan would work, but it seemed like a better solution than barging in and provoking a fight in a crowded casino.  
And so, Veronica threw her one dress after another to try one. The shop's owner had joined them after an hour and both women were delighted at the chance to have the young girl play dress-up. Sian was forced into outfit after outfit and just when she thought this might have been a bad idea, they found the dress.  
Black, floor-length, and tight-fitting with a gold Appliqué running from the neckline, along the generous cleavage and down to the hem of the dress.

Veronica followed her trail of vision and her eyes fell on the work of art, which was fitted tightly to a mannequin and showing off the plastic person's figure flawlessly.

"Ouch!" Veronica winced when she glimpsed at the price tag. "Oh man… but really, can you put a price tag on victory? I think it's worth it."

"I don't have an endless supply of caps to spend here." Sian replied, masking her deep captivation at the beautiful dress. "Maybe we do it Boone's way. This seems more and more ridiculous the longer we're here… and I'm tired of trying things on."

"No! Look at it!" Veronica protested. She placed a hand on the bare plastic exposed around the cleavage area of the mannequin. "It's gorgeous, it suits you, the colours compliment you, and hell—when was the last time you bought something really nice for yourself anyway?"

Sian thought on this. She couldn't remember the last time she indulged on anything that she desperately wanted, but didn't necessarily need.

"Tell you what. Look." Veronica revealed a bag of caps from inside of her bra. Sian wondered how it fit in there in the first place. "Remember me telling you that I did the shopping for my family? I still have their grocery money right here. Let's go halfsies. I'll help you buy it."

"No." Sian responded without much thought. "I don't want you buying my supplies."

"It's not supplies, you dingbat—it's an indulgence. A present." Veronica laughed. "Swallow your pride for once and have a good time. Jeez, no wonder you made friends with that emotionless snowman of a sniper before you made friends with me. You have no idea how to have fun."

Sian sighed. It was a fact that 'fun' wasn't on her list of top priorities lately, but how could she afford to put fun before business? Especially with Vegas hanging in the balance? Still, one could argue that all the politics of Vegas were quite pointless without 'fun' being a part of the equation, as was life itself. Vegas was a place where everyone blew their caps, got drunk, slept with prostitutes and forgot their problems entirely. It wouldn't kill Sian to simply purchase a dress—not only because she wanted it, but because it was necessary for a very important mission. It was absolutely excusable and justified.

Veronica and the shop-owner waited with great anticipation when Sian vanished into the changing room with that expensive dress over her arm. A few minutes went by.

Sian then emerged from the stall with the dress hugging her small body, her hips more noticeable than ever before, and her neck and cleavage both endless, glowing a smooth pale in comparison to the dark dress wrapped around her. The dark blue hair hung down her back limply but that could be fixed. It would be an amazing play of colours with the black and gold of the dress.

Veronica let out a long piercing whistle. "Damn! You're gonna be turning heads! Let's see your walk!"

Sian glared humourlessly at her.

"Walk with confidence. Look sexy, but don't try too hard. Just stroll around like you own the place, like you've got everyone wrapped around your little finger." Veronica explained. "Come on. Like this."

Showing off the dress she currently wore, a stylish red and black one, Veronica marched up and down the isle with a certain swagger in her step. She had a sly smirk on her face, and she winked at one of the employees before turning and approaching Sian again.

"Walk the runway. Go on." Veronica swatted a hand at her. "Try it!"

Sian looked between everyone. They were all staring at her and waiting for her to give it a try. That didn't help.

Still, Sian walked the same path Veronica did, trying not to look too desperate for attention, but wearing a confident expression and meeting eyes with everyone in a charming way that looked, to them, almost intimidating. Her hips swaying with every step, Sian turned and met eyes with Veronica, who looked positively overjoyed.

"You've _got_ this!" Veronica exclaimed. "Let's go!"

XXXXXXXXX

"I still don't get it…" Boone groaned. He and Arcade sat across from one another at the enormous table in the high-roller suite, both of them having downed at least five shots of whiskey each. "They're trash. Why don't we just… y'know… shoot them? You hate them as much as I so. They're child enslaving, women raping, town burning trash in skirts…"

"Diplomacy." Arcade repeated for what must have been the eighteenth time. "Di-plo-ma-cy. Diplomacy means we talk, not kill. Diplomacy means we give everyone a chance to come around before deciding that they're our enemy. Even them. I might even agree with your assessment there—that they're all trash—but they're still human beings, and I'm not gonna believe that killing is the one-size-fits-all solution to everything. That's how _they_ operate. Not us. That's what gives us the moral high ground in this equation. That's what makes our cause worth upholding in comparison to theirs. If we compromise with them, that makes _us_ right. Understand? No shooting on sight. No shooting unless we need to."

Even inebriated, Arcade was making more sense than anyone who had ever talked about politics in front of Boone before. The doctor's lecture was quickly turning the sniper's headache into a pulsing migraine.

"And Sian…" Boone said, massaging his forehead. "God dammit. This is just gonna happen, isn't it? Her and that sleazy fuckhead…"

Arcade sighed. "Yeah, I'm afraid we can't do anything about that."

"She's just a kid..."

"Yeah, I know."

"Her and him… and he's the kind of guy who'd take advantage of anyone… Sick fucker…"

"Alright, alright, enough. You're putting images in my head."

"Naked in a suite in the Tops with the asshole that shot her…"

"Seriously. Boone. Stop."

"He's gonna try and fu—"

"STOP!"

Arcade looked ready to throw up. He still didn't want to go through with Veronica's plan. One might forget it at times, but Sian was only sixteen. This plan would amount to her being alone in a room with Benny. What if she couldn't smuggle in her weapon? What if he recognized her, and he decided to off her while none of them were around to do anything about it? What if he slipped away, and his little posse put together an ambush? And if she made it to his room with him? What if that twisted asshole gave her no chance to go for her gun? What if, for some inexplicable reason, she let him do it? Would she? So much could go wrong, and Sian would be alone, with none of them for backup.  
No, Veronica had decided they were to stay on the casino floor and keep an eye on the bodyguards. Make sure they wouldn't follow at some point.  
While Arcade was trying not to bite his fingernails, Boone was steadily downing more shots in an attempt to forget what had both so upset.  
Part of him wanted to storm into the Tops and just shoot Benny, the still sober part of his brain however knew that this wasn't a good idea. He'd probably get shot in the process and if not, Sian would murder him for his interference. _Stubborn kid..._

The ding of the elevator pulled both men from their thoughts. Boone turned in his seat and craned his neck to watch Veronica and Sian come into the suite, giggling and carrying bags.. That couldn't be good.  
The scribe noticed the guys staring at them and ushered Sian into the bathroom without much ceremony.

"Wash your hair and start getting ready. I'll be there in a few minutes."

She pulled the door shut and made her way over to the two men in the kitchen. She understood that they didn't like it, but this was going to happen and Veronica needed to make sure they were up to it.

"Okay. Arcade, stop fidgeting. Boone, drink a coffee or something, you have to sober up. I'll help Sian get ready and you guys look over the suits I laid out on the beds. I'm not sure if they are your sizes but there are more in the closet. You'll make it work."

Boone grunted at her words. Her bossy tone didn't faze him and a coffee definitely couldn't hurt, but dressing up?

"Why do we have to get all fancy? Isn't it enough if you two do it?"

"Nope. It might not occur to you, but a Follower's doctor and an ex-sniper in grunts do draw attention on the strip. At night. In a casino."

"Yeah, yeah, alright. I get the drift. When are we gonna do this?"

Veronica was already on her way back to the bathroom when she answered over her shoulder.

"We'll need about two hours. Then we'll go over the plan one last time, clear the details. The Tops needs to be full with guests. It'll be easier that way, more commotion."

Boone sighed unhappily and got his coffee. This was going to be a long night...

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"How in the nine circles of hell did either of you survive your Legion training?!"

Vulpes was furious. He channelled his anger into burying his ripper into the wounded Deathclaw. This was the third time he had to save one of his men from being eaten. The Fox urged the other two men on, not bothering to check if Crassus' injury was serious. They needed to get far away from here before the scent of fresh blood attracted more of these monsters. The two Frumentarii trailed after him, keeping their distance from their fuming leader. He hadn't known they were _this_ useless. It had only been a few days and he was already contemplating just killing them and be done with it. If he hadn't had doubts at their chances at success before, he would have now. This was going to be a disaster.

They had been making good time though, and if they didn't run into any more trouble, they'd reach the I-15 that night. He hadn't been down this road in a long time, but if the street hadn't collapsed anywhere it would shorten the trip considerably if they just followed it straight into Zion. Vulpes pulled out the map he'd taken from the Fort and studied it while walking. It was a copy of a map that had been made before the Great War and marked cities that were long gone now, but it showed the terrain and the altitudes.

 _We'll follow the I-15 for about two days, maybe two and a half and then reach Quail Creek Reservoir. We can fill up on water there, rest for an hour or two and then follow the Virgin River all the way to Zion. That'll take four days at least. Joy...  
But no matter, the meeting with the White Legs will take only a few hours and I'll be back at the Fort a week later, maybe sooner. I'll be faster if I don't have to save these imbeciles all the time.._

Most of the time Vulpes was pretty bored. He was a rather private man and didn't reveal much of himself to others. In fact, there were only three people who actually knew the man behind the facade. But there was not one topic he could discuss with his subordinates, nothing he wanted to know about them and nothing he was planning to reveal to them. He didn't have a problem with prolonged silences but at least six more days of not talking to anyone sounded far from enjoyable.  
Thank god he wasn't sent on these kind of missions often. Since Vulpes had been made leader of the Frumentarii there was always the option to delegate missions that were too mundane or required someone to travel a long way.  
He could also order around just about any soldier in the Legion, and yet, when Caesar commanded, he was stuck doing whatever was asked of him. It was frustrating sometimes, not having the possibility of refusing and having to do footwork like a recruit.  
It didn't do to dwell on these thoughts.  
Caesar word was law and there was nothing anyone could do about it. He was the Son of Mars, Conqueror of Nations, new hope for the Mojave.  
Vulpes had to push through this mantra every time the disobedient thoughts surfaced. Nothing could be won by them. His rebellion against the Legion had earned him beatings as a boy and a scouring as a teenager. Whenever he strained his back too much, it would knot up and remind him of the price of disobedience. Since then, he had let out his opposition in carefully measured doses.  
And who was he to complain, anyway?  
He had risen through the ranks with a speed unheard of, was one of the most powerful men in the Legion and had freedoms like none other. There was nothing worth risking everything he had fought so hard to receive.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"I don't like this."

"I know."

"This is far too dangerous."

"Arcade?"

"Hmm?"

"Could you have your nervous breakdown somewhere else? And Boone, that beer bottle can't hold much more pressure, ease up."

Arcade sighed and downed his scotch. He felt the strong urge to argue with Veronica, but she was so hyped about going out and being dressed up it would be of no use. They were standing near the blackjack tables and looked to be mingling, the two men looking uncomfortable in the suits that were slightly too tight and short respectively. Veronica glowed in her dress, styled after pre-war fashion and she watched Sian closely.  
The blue-haired girl was making her way across the room slowly, pausing here and there to look at things. A dark-skinned woman bumped into her and they chatted for a minute, both with friendly smiles on their faces.  
That struck both Boone and Veronica as odd. No one ever bumped into Sian. They had noticed that in Freeside. She was far too agile to let that happen, always sidestepping anyone in her path.  
 _Probably just nervous, it_ is _dangerous, after all... But she'll ace this. She has to..  
_ Veronica was a lot more worried about Sian than she would ever let on, but she still believed that this plan promised the most chance of success.  
This was also the surest way that Sian would get the answers she wanted and the revenge she deserved.

Sian finally managed to detach herself from the woman who had run into her and then insisted on apologizing for a full two minutes.  
She threw a furtive glance at Benny and caught him staring in her direction.  
The girl sashayed over to a roulette table, hips swaying slightly, and placed a bet.  
 _Now we play the waiting game.. Shouldn't take too long._

Maybe 5 minutes passed before Sian felt the familiar tingling in the back of the neck that meant someone was approaching her.

"Hey-hey, babydoll. What's a fine dame doing by herself in the Tops? Might be careful wandering in where I can see you when you're lookin' _that_ good."

Sian flashed a dazzling smile at the man and suppressed a shiver at how close he was standing to her. She looked him in the eyes for a second, but broke eye contact right away. She couldn't count on him not recognizing her and thought it best to play it safe. She might appear a bit shy, but oh well, can't be helped.  
Leaning forward to place another bet, she turned her head toward him and kept on smiling.

"Well, at the moment I'm losing at roulette and that's quickly losing its appeal. I might have to find something else to do." The invitation was clear in her voice and Benny needed only seconds to react. When she turned away from the table, he was quick to place a hand on the small of her back and gently steer her toward the stairs.

"I dunno if my main man Swank made the deal clear on your way in, but a pretty lady like yourself can have anything here... My casino is your casino, sweet cheeks. Anything you like, champagne, wine, just help yourself. Put it on "Benny's" tab. Nobody'll ask questions. And hey... Lemme show you to the Ace's. Wouldn't do to leave you all by your lonesome, now would it?"

"Thank you. I think I'd like a glass of champagne. Care to join me?" Sian kept a smile on her face the entire time and her voice was a silky purr. She felt the urge to applaud herself for this performance. But she also felt the urge to rip off the hand that was steadily slipping lower.  
Benny restrained himself. Groping the girl in the crowded gambling area was too crass, even for him. He led her into the dimly lit theatre and ordered a champagne for her and a whiskey for himself.

Sian held the glass with dainty fingers and took a sip, enjoying the bubbliness of her drink. She would've much preferred a whiskey as well, but this would do.

"I've never seen you here before, doll. But you're not a simple wasteland gal, I can tell, not as rough. You're fine as silk. What brings you to Vegas?"

She couldn't fake a blush, but Sian looked down and bit her lip to hide a smile. Looking up at him through her lashes, she could see it worked like a charm. He gave her a toothy grin. Benny wasn't that bad-looking she noticed and he certainly was charming when he wanted to be. He waved for the bartender to refill her glass. When had she emptied the first one?

"They say Vegas has a charm you will never forget. I certainly agree. I just came here to enjoy the sights. But what about you? This is _your_ casino, shouldn't you be surrounded by more appealing diversions?"

Benny leaned in to the girl and lifted her chin to look into her eyes. Sian couldn't suppress a startled gasp which Benny misread completely. He smirked at her.  
She was ripe for the taking, just an innocent girl on her first trip to the Jewel of the desert.  
He breathed his next words into her ear, raising goosebumps all over her skin.

"You, my dear, look so damn appealing I'm almost having trouble maintaining eye contact. And that's saying something, you have some stellar eyes. I'd like to see more of you, babydoll. Maybe you can come up top with me... The top of the Tops. And I can make you _feel_ like you're on top of the whole world. Hm?"

Sian gave him a timid smile, which wasn't entirely faked. The hot breath on her neck jumbled her thoughts for a moment. She was more nervous than ever before and downed her second glass of champagne. Benny grinned, offering her his tumbler of whiskey. She shouldn't, she really, really shouldn't. But her hand moved on her own and before she could stop herself, she'd taken a large swig of the amber liquid. It calmed her considerably.

"I.. Yes, I'd like that."

No more words were needed. Benny wrapped his arm around the girl's slender waist and guided her out of the theatre and back down the stairs. She didn't resist at all, just laughed a bit at the little compliments he continued to pay her as they walked.  
Sian didn't look back as they made for the elevators. She could feel the stares of her friends' on her but she didn't want to see them. She was confused enough as it was.  
Benny was being so charming and the sweet words were like honey on her mind.

 _It'll get better when we're alone. No distractions. I just have to keep my mind on the plan Veronica made. Remember the steps and don't hesitate. Don't be fooled, he tried to kill you..._

Boone watched that fucking weasel with murder in his eyes. Arcade noticed and put a hand on the sniper's shoulder to keep him seated. The blonde man didn't like it either but right now they all had to keep cool and watch Benny's bodyguards.  
But he could hear Sian laugh. Didn't that laugh sound a bit too genuine? And she seemed so relaxed... No, she wanted to kill him. What had she said? She didn't want anyone else kneeling before him...  
 _Bad brain! Don't even go there! Okay, keep it together Arcade.  
_ All three of them watched Sian disappear around the corner, hoping it wouldn't take too long.

Once inside the the elevator Benny pulled Sian towards him and her breathing became a bit faster. She had seriously underestimated how her own inexperience factored into this situation. He didn't actually do anything but hold her close, but the smile he gave her made Sian feel like a trapped animal. Still, she smiled and laid her hands on his shoulders to keep him from coming any closer. It was strangely thrilling to be here, this close to him and not knowing what would happen next. The girl could feel the now familiar warmth in her stomach. Maybe that whiskey had been too much, but she loved the tingling feeling it sent through her, all the way to her fingertips.

"You're lucky, sweetheart. Lucky you ran into me on your first night here. I'm the top of the Tops, but hey, I guess I used that line already... so here, I'll cut to the chase. You're damn beautiful, babydoll. And in an ugly world like this, beauty's hard to come by, so I don't tend to waste it. You'll see what I mean when you step into my suite, baby. And believe me... the suite ain't gonna be the sweetest thing about your evening. I'm gonna give you a night to remember, and you'll be spoiled for the lesser's and Benny-wanna-be's for good."

Before she had a chance to respond, the elevator dinged and he ushered her out into the hall. Sian caught sight of two guards in the hallway and stopped in her tracks. She had not anticipated there would be people up here. This was bad. Sian thought fast, she needed to get rid of them, before she stepped foot into the suite. She turned to Benny and looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Do they have to be here? I don't.. don't want anyone to hear.."

"That's adorable, baby," He chuckled and called the two suited brutes, "Boys! Go grab a drink at the bar. I won't be needing _you_ up here."

They obeyed immediately and Sian relaxed. She wasn't really lying. She didn't want anyone to hear.. whatever was going to happen in there.

Benny pulled her through the double doors, kicking them shut after them. The radio was on and Johnny Guitar was playing. Before the girl ever had to chance to get a look at the room they were in, she was pulled through another door into the bedroom.  
That door, too, was slammed shut and he pushed Sian up against it and kissed her.  
He was on her so fast, she didn't have time to dodge him. One of his hands tangled into her hair and the other slid around her waist.  
This was new to her. Had anybody ever kissed her like this? Or at all, for that matter?  
When she felt him grind against her, her eyes snapped open. When did she even close them? What the _fuck_ was going on?!  
She started to squirm, and his movements grew rough but she succeeded in pulling her head away from him. Benny was not dissuaded though, he pulled her head back by the hair and started kissing her neck instead, right underneath her jaw. It sent a jolt of electricity through Sian and her hands clawed around his arms against her will. This was too much, all these sensations overwhelmed her and she didn't know what to do.  
 _Your gun! Get your gun and end this!  
_ And she tried, but the skirt of her dress was in the way and with him pinning her against the door she couldn't move enough to reach it. He was a lot stronger than she had expected but she pushed against his shoulders to get him off of her. He pulled back a bit but didn't let her go.

"Hey, hey, baby... what's wrong? Did you suddenly remember you're married, or what?"

Sian was panicky and sputtered out the first thing that came to her mind. Her careful planning had gone out the window a long time ago anyway.

"This is g-going too fast. Please.. I don't know if w-we should.. I don't know how to do this."

Benny smirked down at her. This was even better.. Innocence was hard to come by on the Strip. She'd like it, hell, he'd make the doll scream his name in few minutes.

"You knew where this was going, sweet cheeks... you really had your game face on before. You'll love it, I promise. Just let the Ben-Man make you feel good."

He latched onto her neck again and started sucking on the sensitive skin. It hurt, but Sian didn't know how to get out of this situation. His hand slid lower and groped her ass, pulled her close and he thrust against her. That was when panic took over. Feeling his erection against her abdomen, and knowing what would follow, made her instincts kick in and she pushed him away with incredible force. Before he could pounce on her again, Sian had pulled her .45 from the strap on her ankle and smashed it against the side of his face.  
Benny collapsed and while he was trying to get back to his feet, Sian hastily screwed the silencer onto the barrel. Benny was on his knees now and tried to shake the stars from his vision.

"Just stay down. You wouldn't stand long anyway," she said with a nasty sneer," Now, Ben-Man, you'll tell me what I want to know."

Benny stared up at her, then focused on the barrel of the gun pointed at his face. He didn't quite understand how this had happened.

"What the.. What do you want? What did I do to you?"

"My God, you are disgusting. All you saw was a pair of tits, you hardly ever looked at my face, didn't you? I'll give you a clue," Sian drove the fingers of her free hand through her hair and pulled back her bangs to expose the still pink scars on her hairline. Benny stared at her for a minute and his face got so white it looked like he would pass out any second.

"No.. You're that Courier! Why aren't you dead?" He sounded disbelieving but there was a harshness in his voice that told Sian all she needed to know. He must have heard it as well, because he immediately tried to fix his slip-up.  
"I... I'm glad you're still alive, sweetheart, I'll sleep a lot easier now. I never wanted to kill you, but you were dangerous to keep around."

"Save it, asshole, it ain't gonna help you now. The Chip. What does it do? What was so important about it that you had to try and kill me?"

"What does it do?" He laughed at her. Sian bristled. How dare he laugh? He should be trembling and begging.  
"Now why should I tell you, darling? Seems to me that I have something you want. Why would I give my bargaining chip?"

"Because if you won't tell me, I'll just shoot you and take the Chip back to House. He's awaiting his delivery, you know? So choose. Speak to me or speak to God."

They stared at each other for a few long minutes. A cold smile crept onto her face and her eyes twinkled maliciously. Benny gulped. The look she was giving him meant business.

"Listen, I'll tell ya, babydoll, just keep that triggerfinger calm, you hear? That chip is everythin'. It's the key to New Vegas. I have a way of hacking into House's system and taking control of the Securitrons'. He just needs to be taken out of the picture, and you... You were the one to get into the Lucky 38, ain't that right? If you get rid of House, we'd be in the clear, darlin'! You and I could rule Vegas together! What you say, baby? We would be top-notch together, you know that."

 _Interesting... That's definitely good to know when I continue to deal with House. But now, it's time to "cash out"._

"We could have been a great team. But greedy people are hard to control. You'd screw me over the minute, no the second I'd turn my back on you," Sian had one hand on her hip and the other still held the gun on him. It felt wonderful to see him one his knees, at her mercy...  
But then, Benny smirked.

"I see... I made a grave mistake when I shot you," The whole act fell away and left behind was a man who accepted that he was about to die. This girl was neither stupid, nor innocent. Those eyes were like steel. The eyes of a killer.  
"Do a better job than I did, babydoll."

Sian was still going to kill him. His acceptance didn't make a difference to her because she knew he couldn't be trusted. But she valued courage, and that he didn't break apart impressed her. For that, she would not make him wait. She understood the meaning behind his words. He wanted her to finish what he started. She'd think about it.

"Don't worry. I'll do what is right."

To Sian it was a sign of respect that she didn't break eye contact. Brown eyes bored into blue and moments later she pulled the trigger.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sian had sat on Benny's bed for a long time. His corpse didn't bother her, nor the fact that she had executed him. But he had given her a lot to think about.  
Eventually she looked around the suite and found a Securitron who introduced himself as Yes-Man. When it told her that he'd been the one to tell Benny where to find her, the girl had to fight the urge to break it.  
But after finding out what Yes-Man's purpose was she knew she needed to keep him around until she figured out what to do.  
One last thing remained to be done. Sian knelt next to Benny's corpse and found the Chip that had caused her so much trouble and pain. She was about to leave when a glint caught her eye. That beautiful gun she'd seen before. It felt right in her hand.  
She held one weapon in each hand.  
The one that hadn't killed her.  
And the one that had killed him.  
Sian tucked them into the folds of her dress and left the suite. She had been up here at least two hours. A wonder that no one had come barging in.

Veronica was doing her best to keep Boone and Arcade from going crazy. The crowds around them had thinned considerably and Sian had still not come back.  
The young woman decided to wait half an hour. Or twenty minutes. Maybe fifteen...  
She was so immersed in her worry that Arcade's voice startled her badly.

"There she is. Sian! Are you alright?"

All three of them hurried over to the girl. Veronica reached her first and engulfed her in a tight embrace. She was worried by how tired Sian looked and that she did nothing to free herself.

"I'm fine. Got the Chip. Benny's dead." Her voiced was muffled as she spoke into Vero's shoulder. Arcade pulled Sian out of the other woman's grasp and examined her. First thing he noticed was the bruise on her neck and judging by the growl behind him, Boone had seen it as well. He was about to berate her for doing this, putting herself in danger, but he wasn't sure how the young girl would react.  
She might get angry but it seemed just as possible that she'd burst into tears. He took in her bruised lips, saw how pale she was and sighed. Arcade carefully laid an arm around her shoulders and led her out of the casino.

"Come on, let's get you back to the 38. You have to sleep."


	17. Chapter 16

**Si vis Pacem Chapter 16**

"You should have reported back last night! What was the hold-up?"

Sian found it immensely disturbing how angry the robotic voice sounded. It unnerved her that whatever House was, he apparently still could convey emotion.

"I'm sorry. It was an exhausting day."

"Hrrmph. Fine. I assume you have the Chip? What of Benny?"

"Yeah, I got it back. Benny's dead."

"Regrettable. He was a valuable asset before he became too greedy. Well, let's move on. You have the chip, now I'll show you what it does. Step over to the elevator and see for yourself why it is so important."

When she got to the basement, Sian listened to House's explanation on how the Chip upgraded the Securitron's weapons and attack systems. The demonstration was impressive and the girl understood what Benny had meant. The Platinum Chip was the key to powering up the robotic guardians of Vegas. The key to controlling the Strip.  
Interesting...

Back upstairs, House was positively giddy at being able to upgrade his police force.

"Now, we must discuss the next phase of the plan. The Securitron's on the Strip are only a fraction of the entire force. There exists a bunker with more robots than you can imagine and they are going to tip the scale when the conflict in the Mojave reaches its apex."

"If you take much longer to get to the point, you'll have to excuse me for a moment. You really need a chair here." It sounded like House snorted at her thrown in interjection.

"Yes, alright, I get the point. I need you to travel to the bunker and install the upgrade."

"Sounds easy enough. Where do I have to go?"

"Yes, that's where the 'easy' part ends. The bunker is underneath Fortification Hill. Caesar set up his base camp there without knowing of its existence. You're going to have to find a way to get in there. I don't care how you do it, just do it."

"Any ideas on how I'll do this? Without getting killed or enslaved, preferably?"

"Hmmm. A disguise is out of the question. But knowing Caesar, he's already heard of you. He has his spies on the Strip. You might even get an invitation, that would solve the problem. You'll figure it out. That will be all for now. There's nothing more to discuss until you get to the Fort."

Sian was a bit irked with the abrupt dismissal and left without another word. She'd have to think on how she would break this to the others. They all wouldn't like this. She didn't like this.  
After having met Syrus and hearing what he had to say, Sian didn't think the Legion were quite the monsters they were made out to be. It didn't make her want to saunter into their base of operations however.  
Charging in with guns' blazing wasn't really an option either. Aside from the fact that Sian was opposed to unprovoked genocide simply to gain access, she didn't think they'd make it particularly far..  
A disguise was also out of the question, she agreed with House on that point. She was too small and thin to pose as a legionary.  
If she'd know where to find Syrus, none of this would be a problem. But he was probably back at the Fort. No way she could just walk there, bang on the door and demand to be let in.

She got off the elevator in her suite and found Arcade and Boone playing billiard, with Vero hassling both of them just for the heck of it.  
Sian watched them for a minute, noting that Boone was a lot better than his opponent and that the small mound of caps on the side of the table would most assuredly go to him. Veronica noticed her and waved her over. The blue-haired girl came over and leaned against the billiard. She crossed her arms and watched the game.

"Hey, what did House say? He happy?"

"Positively bubbly. But he brought up the next problem."

"And what's that?" Arcade asked. He didn't pay much attention to the game, as he was losing anyway.

"Turns out the Chip contains an upgrade for the Securitrons'. Makes them more efficient and a lot more deadly." Sian explained. "He wants me to go to a bunker of his in order to install the upgrade."

"Well that sounds easy enough! Where is it?" Veronica asked. "Are we going right n—"

"Hold on." Arcade interjected. "Are you really going through with this?"

Everyone looked at him.

Arcade abandoned his pool cue, sighed, and ran his fingers through his wavy blonde hair. "I don't see where you're going with this Mr. House guy. If he gets that upgrade, he'll be unstoppable. That's not going to help Vegas in the long run. The man doesn't care about the locals one bit. He cares about filling his pockets, watching the poor throw their money at the rich."

"Would you prefer the NCR or the Legion taking over?" Sian asked him.

"Of course not." Arcade replied. "All I'm saying is, we need to give this some thorough thought before we go blundering in and make a mistake that we can't mend later down the road."

"I don't want House ruling Vegas any more than you do." Sian assured him. "You're right. He's a tyrant, and he… he's not even human anymore. I've got a plan for dealing with him."

The courier spoke quietly now, hoping not to let any Securitrons overhear her.

"Benny was making his own play." Sian told them. "He had a Securitron called Yes-Man that's invisible on his network. That's my way in. Upgrading the Securitrons will give _us_ the power. Not House."

Everyone went quiet and exchanged glances.

"That's not the big problem." Sian went on. "The big problem is, the bunker is in Fortification Hill. It's underneath the Fort across the river."

"That's not a problem." Boone scoffed, holding up his rifle.

"Are you serious? You'd really rush in guns blazing?" Arcade scolded. "You'd get mowed down in a heartbeat, you reckless grunt. Not a chance in hell."

"So, what, we go knock on the door and ask if we can poke around?" Boone retorted. "I'm not talking to those fucking snakes—I'm killing them."

"Then you're not going." Sian said flatly.

Boone raised his brows at her with a look of slight shock.

"I'm not slaughtering a bunch of people just because you can't keep your temper under wraps. I want to do this the right way. Maybe by sneaking in, maybe with diplomacy, I'm not sure—but not by killing an entire camp of people." Sian told him. "We're doing this the _right_ way, or _no_ way."

"They won't let me in if they recognize me…" Veronica said worriedly. "We've made a lot of enemies, like I said… I'm pretty sure they're not fans of the Brotherhood across the river."

"Then you can stay too, if you like. I'll leave Rex and Eddie here to help you guys look after the place, and because they would draw a lot of unwanted attention. If I have to sneak in, then attention is the last thing I want." Sian told her.

Then, Sian turned to Arcade. "And what about you? Are you going?"

Arcade traded eyes with Boone and Veronica. Boone looked like he was furious, while Veronica simply looked concerned for Sian.

"I don't want to give you the impression that I don't trust you, first and foremost. So… Sian… I'd like to believe that we're about to trek off and march through the gates of hell for personal gain or out of academic curiosity, but I'm not so open minded that I've lost my brains. I have to know that you're not going to play along with whatever game Caesar wants to play… that _is_ assuming we take the diplomatic route rather than the ninja route, of course."

"I want to upgrade the Securitrons. I would like to hear what Caesar has to say. But I'm not going there to bend my knee to him," She looked at Arcade, trying to make him understand, "I have forgotten everything. But I haven't forgotten what insanity looks like. I don't plan to burn the world, don't worry."

She was about to say more, but Victor rolled up to the doorway, informing her that a visitor was waiting for her downstairs. Sian was surprised when the Securitron informed her who had come calling.

"Says he knows you. Introduced himself as Syrus, said you would know who he is."

At first, she was happy. Syrus was alright and he might solve her problems, but then her blood ran cold. Boone didn't know that a Legionary had been in town under his watch. And she had never told him.  
 _Well, fuck... I need Syrus. I'll just have to risk it. Arcade and Vero will help, I hope..._

"Send him up, but he'll have to relinquish his weapons," When Victor face switched blank and he rolled away to follow her order, Sian turned to Boone.  
"Give me your rifle."

"What? No. Why should I?" Boone's hands closed around his weapon protectively. Who could this visitor be that she would make him give it to her. He didn't want to. He wouldn't.

"If you trust me, hand over the rifle."

They stared at each other for what felt like aeons. Neither acknowledged the others in the room. Sian patiently held out her hand and waited. Very slowly, Boone handed her his prized rifle. The ding of the elevator shook everyone out of their stupor. Sian spun around so fast it sent her hair flying. She couldn't suppress the huge grin on her face which the newcomer fully reciprocated. He looked very different in his black suit and black fedora, but the boyish grin and the sparkling green eyes were the same.  
Boone recognized him as well. The wounded boy from Novac. The one Sian'd been worried about and had then left behind. How did he know where to find her? And what did he want?

"Sy. It's good to see you. I believe I know what has brought you here. So keep it in for another minute, I need to catch them up first."

Sian motioned for them to sit down at the table, Syrus on one side, her friends on the other. She herself remained standing, her arms crossed and resting on the rifle. This was not going to be that simple. She threw a glance at Arcade, willing him to understand what she wanted and the blonde man gave a tiny nod. He'd have her back wherever this was going.

"Boone, Vero, Arcade... You guys know that I was wounded before I came to Novac and that my friend Sy was there too. He was the one who taught me about the Legion. Taught me, that there are always two sides to every story. Boone, I'm sorry I never told you. But when we were attacked, I had to keep him safe. He protected me and then it was my turn. I helped him change out of his armour and later let his officer take him back. I knew that no one would help a Legionary, that they would let him die or just outright execute him. I apologize for deceiving you, but I'm not sorry for what I've done."

Boone's jaw twitched. Nobody was able to see his eyes clearly due to his sunglasses, but it was almost obvious that he was glaring at Syrus devilishly. He made an involuntary movement and glanced at his rifle. Arcade noticed it before anyone else.

"Sit." Arcade ordered, pointing at Boone and giving him a very stern stare. "Don't you dare. Stay right there and keep your hands in sight, Snipes."

"I can't fucking believe you." Boone said. "You of all people, you're sticking up for a Legionary? Fucking pathetic."

"I'm sticking up for Sian." Arcade corrected him. "And the solution to every problem—even the problems caused by the Legion—isn't to reach for your rifle and kill something. You'll sit there and you'll keep calm because I, for one, actually _like_ the idea of resolving all of this without bloodshed if at all possible."

Boone growled furiously at the doctor.

Arcade and Sian were both giving Boone the same unyielding glare. Veronica quickly began to feel uncomfortable as tension filled the air.

Then, Boone rose and stormed out of the room. He slammed the door shut so hard that many of the dishes on the nearby shelf went crashing down onto the floor.

Sian bit out a frustrated groan. She'd known this wouldn't go well. She dropped the rifle onto the table and stormed after the angry sniper. She just saw him stepping into the master suite. Where her rifle was...  
The girl flew into her room and saw Boone standing over her gun locker. She slammed the door shut and took a deep breath.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing? I didn't take your rifle so that you'd take another!"

Boone spun on his heel and the look on his face would have been frightening. But Sian had never been scared of Boone and she didn't plan on starting now. It still took a lot to not back away when he stomped toward her.

"Why?" His voice was raspy with emotion and his clenched fists were shaking with fury, "Why would you help one of _them?_ They're nothing, less than trash! They kill innocents! They rape and enslave! They _crucify_ people! We don't _help_ them! We should be wiping them out!"

"SHUT UP!", The small girl exploded on him in anger, screaming at him,"Listen to yourself! I just said he protected me! He saved me when I got stabbed by some filthy raider! I wasn't just gonna leave him out in the wastes! I'm so fucking sorry that I'm better than that! He's just human, as are we! He never did anything to me and I'm not going to treat him like a fucking animal and shoot on sight!"

"I can't fucking believe you... seriously. Do I really need to remind you what kind of people you're talking to? What that prick-" He pointed towards the wall, gesturing to Syrus in the other room. "-is a part of? He's a part of the raping, pillaging bunch of murdering assholes who kidnapped my own wife out from under me. And you're telling me that we're gonna _talk_ to them, like they're human _beings_? Because they're _NOT_!"

Boone raised an enormous fist and for a split-second Sian thought he'd lose it completely. Then his fist landed in the wall next to her head, leaving behind a number of little cracks. He drew back from her and his face crumpled.  
He looked shocked at what he'd just said, what he'd done.  
 _I could have hit her... Why does she make me so angry? I can't... What the hell do I do know?_

Sian watched him intently. She noticed how his shoulders sagged all of a sudden and he collapsed onto her bed and cradled his head in his hands. The girl felt bad. She knew what he'd been through and now she made it worse. She should have found a better way to tell him, but what could she have done? Syrus had just shown up and she had no other choice but to come clean.  
She slowly walked over to the bed and plopped down beside him.

"Boone, I'm so sorry about what happened. And I wish that I could make it better, but it doesn't change the facts. I need to get into the Fort and Sy is my best option. And he was really nice to me, respectful even. The Legion assimilates their tribes, right? Most of these boys never had a chance. I just ask that you give Syrus one. One chance. Please. I know it's a lot to ask from you, but you can't just shoot everyone. That's not how you'll get better. That's how you'll get bitter. And I don't want that."

Boone's guard was down. She was being too nice, too understanding. But he couldn't let this go, that boy in the next room was Legion. Legionaries were the scum of their dirty world. He couldn't look at the girl. He didn't always understand what drove her, but he understood that Sian was better than him in so many ways. She wasn't stupid and Boone certainly wasn't the first one to tell her what the Legion did and yet she always tried to remain neutral. In their short time together, the girl had made him a lot more aware of the things going on in the wasteland just because she always talked to everyone.

"I don't know how I'm supposed to handle this. I'm not like you, I can't just be nice and let everyone tell me their side of the story. I'm not as good as you want me to be. I just can't trust anyone in a skirt. I don't care if he protected you, I can't believe he'd do it out of the goodness of his heart. I don't want you to go to the Fort with _him._ I don't want you to go there at all."

"Oh, Boone..." She knelt on the bed and threw her arms around his neck, not caring if he wanted it or not.  
"You're a lot better than you give yourself credit for. And you're stronger than most people I know. And I need you strong. Just trust me. I'll go. I have to. But I'm taking Arcade and he'll make sure I don't do anything stupid. I'll be back before you know it. You'll see, we'll all be fine and this crap will be over and we can make plans to help the people here. But let's just take one step at a time, I don't think I can handle any more drama. At least not any not immediate drama, okay?"

He chuckled a bit. His arm found its way around her small waist on its own and they just sat there for a while, saying nothing and enjoying the sensation of a friend who was there when you needed one.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The young legionary, Syrus, sat motionless and didn't flinch when the door slammed or the china came crashing down. He didn't seem worried that he'd get attacked, nor did the boy make any move for the rifle. Arcade narrowed his eyes at him.

"What are you here for? I hardly believe this to be social call."

"You'd be correct,"Syrus chuckled."But I'm afraid that I need to discuss the reason of my visit with the Courier."

Arcade was fine with that. Sian would come back once the yelling from the other room stopped and she'd never send him away when Syrus told her what he wanted.  
He watched the boy with unease. The rigid posture set him on edge, and while the legionary wore a pleasant smile, he looked unnervingly not-human.  
That image quickly passed from the doctor's mind when the boy flinched at the sound of a fist hitting the wall.  
Syrus spun around and looked at the doorway. He was contemplating if he should go after Sian, but when he heard nothing further from the room, he turned back to face the other two. Veronica caught the worried look in his eyes. She stood and smiled at the boy.

"Don't worry. They both have a temper like a shot Deathclaw, but he wouldn't actually hurt her. He'll yell at her, she screams and then she'll get him to calm down," She walked over to the fridge,"Would you like something to drink? We have Nuka, Sunset Sarsaparilla and Water."

He tried to remain stoic, Veronica and Arcade could see that, but a sly smile crept over his face and made him look years younger.

"I'd take a NukaCola please."

Veronica grabbed three bottles and sat back down. She slid one across the table to Syrus. An uncomfortable silence settled once more.  
The scribe was desperately racking her brains for something to say but came up empty.  
Thankfully they only needed to endure it for a few minutes before Sian stepped back into the room, Boone trailing behind her. He slumped down next to Arcade and gave a grateful smile when Sian got him a beer.  
She sat down between her friends and Syrus, popped of the cap of her NukaCola and looked at the legionary beside her.

"So, tell me. What brings you to Vegas?"

Syrus turned to face her and set his bottle down. He threw a glance at the sniper. He was calmer than before, but Syrus was on edge.

"The eyes of the mighty Caesar rest upon you. He admires your accomplishments and bestows upon you the exceptional gift of his mark. My Lord requests your presence at Fortification Hill. His symbol will grant you safe-conduct through our lands."

He held out a small pendant to her and Sian wrapped her slender fingers around the chain. She held it before her eyes to examine it. Small, fine gold, a bull relief embossed on its surface along with the words _Legio Cesaris.  
_ Wearing this would identify her as supporter of the Legion... The girl stared at the symbol intently for a few minutes, then stowed it away in her jacket pocket.

"I accept. What's the best way to reach the Fort?"

Syrus eyes widened for a second. He hadn't believed it would be so easy to get her to agree. Seemed like her sniper hadn't been able to corrupt her too much. The young Frumentarius gave her a lopsided grin.

"I'll take you there. I'm supposed to escort you back. The Mark guarantees safe-conduct, but the way to Cottonwood Cove isn't exactly safe. Geckos, ghouls and cazadors. If you get eaten out there, I didn't do my job right."

Sian actually laughed at that and Veronica cracked a smile. This boy didn't seem so bad to her. Arcade wore an unreadable expression and Boone just tried not to shatter his bottle.

"Just to make this clear, Sy. Dr. Gannon will be accompanying me. If that poses a problem, tough. I won't be going with just you alone."

"That won't be a problem." Syrus replied with a subtle glimpse at Arcade. "Though you alone will be permitted to seek an audience with Caesar."

"And _that_ won't be a problem." Arcade commented, trying to mask the disdain in his voice. He was fully supportive of Sian, but he still didn't like the idea of staring into the eyes of the man who was trying to ravage and burn the world, innocents be damned. He didn't know if he could stomach it.

"Well it's settled then." Syrus said.

Sian nodded.

"Yeah. Almost." Boone interjected with a harsh, piercing voice. "I just wanna make something clear before you guys trek off to slave haven together."

Syrus looked at the sniper.

Veronica's smile faded and Arcade pressed his fingers into his temple.

"She better come back." Boone pointed at Sian, but his eyes burned into Syrus. "They _both_ better come back, and not end up in a slave pen somewhere. If not, well… I'll get you. Oh yeah, I'll fucking get you. But you won't see it coming."

The tension quickly returned.

Syrus looked as unmoved as ever. Then, he smirked at the sniper and returned his attention to Sian.

"Charming." He said. "Shall we go?"

"Let me gear up. Arcade, get whatever you need. I want to get going as soon as possible."

Sian went to her suite and grabbed the sheath with her machete, her combat knife and the silenced rifle she'd gotten in Primm. Holstering them up, she noticed the new gun-strap lying on her desk. She wondered briefly where it had come from, but decided to just accept it. Her .45 was holstered on her left hip and she fixed the strap to her right thigh and slipped Benny's gun in it.  
Ammunition, Healing Powder and some water bottles went into her bag.  
Sian stepped back into the main room to find four people waiting for her. She let out a soft whistle and Rex and Aurelio came running. The cyberdog just sat down, wagging its tail but the little mutant jumped around Sian, hissing and yipping. Aurelio had grown quite a bit since the girl had found him, his shoulders coming up to her knees now. Weird how fast he grew... He hardly fit in the bag any longer. Sian thought for a moment.

"Okay, Rexxie, you're gonna stay here, boy. Listen to Boone and Vero, okay? Good dog."

"What about Aurelio?" Veronica asked. Arcade just sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.  
"What do you think? Of course she insists to bring a poisonous mutant with her..."

Sian bent down to scratch both her pets behind the ears. The nightstalker seemed to understand that they were taking a trip and rattled its scaly tail excitedly.

"Come on, I can't leave my baby behind, now can I?"

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

They would not reach the Fort that night, no matter how fast they walked. A little run-in with some geckos had slowed the small group considerably.  
These ones' were a lot bigger than what Sian had previously fought, and pretty tough. But between the three of them and Aurelio, they got out of every fight unscathed.  
Syrus urged the other two on relentlessly, wanting to cover as much ground as possible while they still had daylight. Sian had some trouble keeping up with the others, seeing how her legs were a lot shorter than the mens'. They had just barely passed the 188 when Arcade put a stop to it all and decided they needed to fine shelter for the night.  
The blonde man grabbed Sian's arm and purposefully marched toward an old gas station at the side of the road.  
Syrus followed with a growl, but after he saw how tired Sian looked, he admitted a rest might do them good.

Sian sat down on one of the improvised mattresses around the dead fire, glad to be off her feet. Syrus gathered up some dry brush and branches and stacked them to get a fire going. Arcade was having a look around, checking the inside of the station and deemed it safe enough to sleep later. It could be blocked off, so there would be no need to sleep in shifts. He was lured back outside by an amazing scent that made his stomach rumble.  
The legionary had gotten the fire going quickly and was roasting some bighorner meat over the open flame while Sian was cutting vegetables into a bowl. They were trading some inside jokes and looking entirely to cozy right now.

"Sy, what does Caesar actually want from me? What you said before doesn't make me think he often summons people to him. What's so special about me?"

Arcade sat down with them and stared at the young legionary expectantly. The young man continued to prepare the meat and thought about what to say. He wasn't even sure of the reasons himself..

"One of the Frumentarii was on the Strip when you were allowed into the Lucky 38. That is absolutely unheard of, so Caesar decided he had to meet you. You might not realize how big this is. House controls Vegas, and with it, the Mojave. I think he has a job for you, but I'm not positive on that. It can be a bit hard to understand what he really wants at times."

Sian was watching him and noticed the way he fidgeted a bit when he spoke. Syrus didn't know why she was singled out and that worried her. Arcade's gaze rested on her and he seemed to be waiting for her to come to her own conclusions.

"Sounds to me like he wants to know who House is. And seeing how he wants to conquer the Mojave, he'd want to know his adversary's weaknesses. And since I've actually met him, I'm his best option. Which is not very reassuring, by the way. What happens if I don't tell him what he wants to know?"

"Caesar is not a patient man. But he is not one for violent outbursts. I'd advise strongly against keeping information from him, he's not used too much opposition. On occasion, he will let it slide, but it depends on the mood he's in."

"Sian, just keep your cool," Arcade cut in from the side,"Remember that you have something he wants. Keep the upper hand in the conversation and you'll be fine."

That sounded like a plan. The girl had more questions, but it seemed like Sy didn't know too much about the upper echelon of the Legion. He did, however, emphasize how important it was that Sian remain respectful.  
Caesar didn't handle disrespect well and the punishments were usually severe.

They ate in companionable silence, but afterwards, Arcade began questioning the Frumentarius about his beliefs. Syrus answered with confidence, ignoring the doctor's thinly veiled disgust, and kept his head held high. Sian interrupted Arcade's mini-rant of the ethical treatment of humans to ask Sy a question that had been burning non her mind for a while.

"Sy, don't take this the wrong way, but why do you follow Caesar? You can hold your own in a fight, you're intelligent and don't even try to deny that you find some things in the Legion to be cruel or unjust. You told me that when we first met. Why does someone like you, someone who's brave and proud, bow your head in submission? I never understood that."

Syrus sat there, cross-legged, hands on his knees. One might call it tranquil. But his eyes looked troubled. He didn't want to lie to Sian, and if it were just her, he'd speak without hesitation. But the doctor sitting across the fire made him uneasy.  
Sian stare burnt into him and, focusing solely on her, he spoke.

"He conquered and assimilated 87 tribes, united them in a way no one else could. I bow my head in respect of his greatness. And with that greatness is great potential. I acknowledge all of the horrible things attached to our society, you know I do. But I am also very certain that such influence and power can be used for just as much good as evil. No society is immune to change. The Legion will change some of its ways. It has to in order to survive. Conquering the Mojave is different, the people here aren't uneducated tribals. I'm guessing, some of their influence will rub of on the Legion. It's inevitable. I'm not the only one who thinks this, even my leader sometimes says things like this. He thinks quite a lot, and quite often. Unlike a lot of Legion leaders, mine actually enjoys hearing new ideas. But even he can't do anything about it. Caesar must be the one to make the changes. I simply patiently await the day it becomes better. And it will.


	18. Chapter 17

**Si vis pacem Chapter 17**

As the small group neared Cottonwood Cove, Syrus took the lead and Sian ordered Aurelio to stay at her side. She feared if he would stray as usual, he might get shot.  
Syrus had been joking with her all the way and even Arcade warmed up to the young Legionary a bit. But now, as they drew closer to Legion territory, he became more and more serious and his mood a lot more subdued.  
His posture straightened out when a legionary ran up to them, asking who they were.  
Syrus drew out a leather band from underneath his dress shirt and held the pendant out.

"I'm here to escort Caesar's guest to the Fort. She and her companions are not to be touched," when he noted the other man fidget, Syrus stifled a sigh,"That means the nightstalker as well. It's safe and has been tamed."

The other man stared at Sian, clearly impressed. The girl did her best not to look away or fidget. Syrus had stressed how important it was that she was not perceived as weak. But it wasn't easy.  
Arcade stood behind her, drawn up to his full impressive height, his arms crossed over his chest and wearing an uncharacteristic scowl. Sian felt better with him behind her.  
The young Frumentarius led his companions into Cottonwood Cove and surveyed the camp.

"Excuse me for a minute," He said to Sian, "I need to speak with someone. I'll be right back. Try to stay out of trouble, will you?" He added with a slightly exasperated smirk. When she nodded with a small smile, he turned away and head over to a row of tents. Arcade and Sian stayed where they were, but then he noticed that the cage held some slaves. The doctor was certain he couldn't do much to help, but if he could get a closer look at those damn collars the Legion always used, that might help.  
He gestured in the direction of the cage, and she nodded once more. Arcade marched off at once, Sian followed at a more leisurely pace. There was a lot of movement around the Cove, recruits training, men keeping their weapons in order. Her sharp eyes missed no detail, and when she heard footsteps right behind her, she purposefully didn't turn around.

"Very foolish for a woman to just march into Cottonwood Cove."

At that, Sian turned on her heel. Syrus had told her to wear the Mark of Caesar before they reached Legion territory and the man before her gazed at the symbol hanging around her neck. He didn't falter for a second though. The Centurion raised a large hand and took hold of the chain.

"I see.. You're the one who everyone's been talking about. The little girl who is granted an audience with Lord Caesar. Well, I should be nice to you then, at least for now."  
Sian stayed silent, the huge man standing far too close and their was something in his eyes, a hunger, that made her feel like like prey and intimidated her. She did her hardest not to let it show and when she spoke, her voice was strong. At her tone, Aurelio hissed and bared his fangs at the man standing with his mistress.

"If you want to keep your hands, I'd suggest you let go."

The man ignored the nightstalker, but grinned at her steely voice. She did have some backbone, this one. The obedient ones did get boring after a while. He just opened his mouth to retort something uncouth when another hand shot in from the side and closed around his wrist. A sickening crack and the Legionary let go of the chain and hissed something out through his teeth.

"Do we have a problem here, Centurion?" Syrus snide voice asked. Sian hadn't even noticed him reappearing at her side, "No? Good then. You know better than to touch a summoned guest of Lord Caesar. Do it again and I'll break your wrist beyond repair."

"Syrus. Glad you've returned from Vegas in one piece, old friend. I had money on the cougars tearing you apart." The Centurion's voice was pleasant, but he looked like he had just bit into a lemon. Sian's eyes flicked from one man to the other. Apparently there were some unresolved issues here.  
Arcade noticed something was up, saw his friend standing far too close to some unknown Legionary and stormed over, the slave pen forgotten. He was a good head taller than the other to men and his stormy expression actually was intimidating for once.  
Syrus glared at the other man, but didn't respond. He just gave his wrist another squeeze and smiled a bit cruelly when it elicited another hiss.

"Sian," Syrus addressed her after having dropped the wrist and now placed a hand on her shoulder.  
"We need to leave, Cursor Lucullus is waiting. Also, I don't quite like the stench around here. Shall we?"

Without waiting for her response, the young Frumentarius lead her towards the docks. Arcade followed close behind, throwing everyone in his path acidic glares.  
Syrus had reached the raft and exchanged a few words with the ferryman. Afterwards he sat down on the wooden planks and motioned for Arcade and Sian to follow suit. Aurelio curled up in the young woman's lap and nuzzled her hand until she began to pet him.

"The ride will take a few hours. I hope Aurelio hasn't bothered you too much. He can be.. well, to put it frankly, he is a disgusting lout. Just keep your distance on the way back, but I don't think he'll bother you again. He knows I'll make good on my threat."

Sian continued stroking her pet, enjoying the feeling of his soft fur. She shuddered a bit and look up at her friend with a disgusted sneer.

"His name is Aurelio? I might have to rename my pet. But you were pretty awesome back there, very intimidating," she smirked at him, "I almost bought it for a minute."

The young man laughed, and Arcade once again marvelled how that laugh transformed his face. He always tried so hard to looked stern and stoic, but when Sian made him laugh or crack a smile, he looked like an entirely different person. He looked like a normal 17 year old boy. It was astounding.

"Well," he began, unable to keep the grin off his face, "I have a reputation to keep up, now don't I. Also, being a Frumentarius means I take orders from no one within the Legion, save the superiors within my division and Caesar himself. Aurelio of Phoenix is one of the men I warned you about before. One of those who believes women to be inferior and only good to please the needs of men. And one of those who believe we must strike at the profligates whenever possible. Never liked him, he was always too blunt, too unrefined. But you should be prepare for more comments like his."

"Joy.." Arcade grumbled, crossing his arms, "I knew this was a bad idea, but nooo.. You just had to come here."

"Oh, don't worry. Nobody in the Fort will actually touch her. The Praetorians, Caesar's personal guard, are also tasked to protect his guests. No one would be stupid enough to do anything other than comment on that you're there," He looked at Sian again, his expression sombre, "Lord Caesar guaranteed for your safety and whatever people say about him, he doesn't go back on his word. Just stay with me once we reach the Fort. I shouldn't have left your side in the first place. Aurelio would have never approached you the way he did if I had been there."

Now it was Sian's turn to laugh. Syrus really was adorable when he was being all serious. She couldn't shake the feeling that he liked her more than his superiors would want, but she was grateful for his advice.

 _We could be such great friends if the circumstances were different. It's a shame that he grew up in the Legion. He's far too nice to be a slaving murderer.._

"Don't worry about me so much, I'm not as fragile or helpless as people like to think. And I can handle a few comments, believe me, I've dealt with worse."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The day was starting to fade when the trio reached the Fort. Syrus was greeted respectfully by the guards, while Sian and Arcade were stripped of any weapons. The guards were extremely thorough, one of them commenting on just how many weapons Sian had on her. The girl parted with her weapons without much fuss, but when one of the Legionaries made to pat her down, Syrus intervened, deeming it unnecessary.  
It was incredible that these guards, who were a lot older than Syrus, just listened to his commands. Saved her from having to relinquish the straight razor she had tucked away.

Syrus escorted her and Arcade through the Fort, the doctor's disapproving gaze lingering on the various slaves and children in Legion uniform. Sian didn't see anything around her, didn't hear the surprised exclamations from the Legionaries. This was it, the meeting with Caesar and she'd be a fool to not be nervous.  
In no time at all, they reached the tent and the Praetorian in front of the flap informed her that only she was allowed to enter. Sian gave an apologetic glance to Arcade and commanded Aurelio to wait for her. The guard pulled the flap to the side and Sian entered, back straight and head held high.

To her surprise, the tent was empty, save for the man sitting on the rather archaic throne. He watched her intently as she came closer.  
Sian felt a split-second urge to bow, but she fought it down, inclining her head to him instead. She stood while he sat, sizing each other up.

Finally, he spoke.

"Well, this meeting has been a long time coming, hasn't it? The famed courier, the one who clawed herself back from the grave and chased down the man who left her for dead. I must say, you intrigue me," He stood up and began circling her. The girl stayed stock-still, not moving a muscle and doing her best not to fidget.  
"You've shown a one-track mind up until now. Only chasing after revenge it seems. You have not yet actively worked against me, nor against the NCR and yet, House chose you. You are the first person to enter his humble abode in over 200 years, and I can't help but wonder, why you?"

"Let's just say, his former protegé wasn't quite up to the task," she replied with a smirk. Caesar cracked a smile. "But you're right. After I woke up, I wanted answers. I've met NCR soldiers, I've met your Legionaries, but I never saw the need to get involved. I'm only a courier, after all. But now, I have been thrown into politics and getting all information possible seems necessary. Syrus informed me that you wanted to speak to me. I'm here, so speak."

"Normally people treat me with more respect."

Caesar's voice was low, threatening, but Sian didn't care. She would be at a loss if she were to explain, but she wasn't afraid any longer. Her voice was lofty, arrogant even, and her face betrayed no emotion. Suddenly, she was comfortable with being here. Well, comfortable might the wrong word.  
She didn't respond and the older man sat back on his throne, staring her up and down appraisingly. There was a familiar gleam in this girl's eyes. Those blue eyes portrayed an arrogance all of a sudden that seemed inherited, entirely natural. Even though he was sitting and she was standing before him like it was supposed to be, she didn't seem very humbled by the presence of a man who could have her crucified, or worse, by just a snap of his fingers.  
He understood now what the young Frumentarius had meant. Not subservient at all. Leaning back, he fixed her with a relentless stare which she returned.

On the inside however, Sian was far from confident. The constant eye contact Caesar insisted on keeping made her nervous. The back of her neck prickled and she had to fight the constant urge to fidget. At the same time, there was a calm within her that she couldn't explain. She reacted completely on instinct here, not much thought put into what she said. Now she simply waited for him to tell her what he wanted. The guards at the gate had confiscated the chip, and Sian suspected he needed that chip to get into the bunker. It seemed he was just as unnerved by the silence and Caesar was the one who broke it first.

"So, you want information. Smart, hearing everyone out before you decide. All you need to know for now, is that I have a task for you. If you fulfil that to my satisfaction, we shall talk," His brown eyes bored into blue, daring her to object. When she didn't, he continued with a smug smile, "There is an old Weather Station at the Fort, it was already here when we came and the doors cannot be opened by any force whatsoever. Not by my men, not by drills, not even by C4. But this Chip.. I believe it is the key. I want you to take it, open the doors and destroy anything inside that Bunker. And I want you to do it alone."

 _He wants to test me.. Arcade's not gonna like this. But I don't really have a choice, do I? Push through and try not to die._

Sian once more inclined her head and with an near sarcastic "As you wish." she turned and left the tent. Outside, a man waited for her. He was tall, but already older, with grey hair and a very dignified disposition. He told her that he would escort her to the Weather Station, where she'd receive her weapons and the Chip. Sian quickly explained to Arcade that she was to do this alone and he predictably wanted to argue, but the old soldier took her by the shoulder and led her away. Sian didn't look back at the fuming doctor who was now rounding on Syrus.  
The older guard said nothing to her, but Sian noticed the covert glances. They didn't bother her nearly as much as when Caesar had done it.

Once in the old Bunker, she was handed her weapons and the Chip. While she geared up the Legionaries made some derisive comments on how she better not get down there, they would not come and get her.  
Sian ignored them and lay the chip into the indentation in the console and watched with trepidation how the floor opened up into a stairway. Grabbing the Chip once more, she stepped down the stairs. An elevator took her down to an old vault. She didn't want to and the further she descended, the higher the radiation count on her PipBoy climbed. She came to a large computer screen and to no one's surprise, House's face flickered onto it. He told her that she needed to make her way though the Vault and upload the data from the Chip to the Securitrons. House also informed her that he had no way of controlling the vault's defences. She'd have to fight her way through. _Fan-fucking-tastic..._

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Meanwhile, Syrus was summoned by the Son of Mars. Caesar wasn't sitting on his throne as usual, but moving around. Syrus waited until he was addressed and he had to wait an unusually long time. His Lord seemed deep in thought and just when the young man thought if he should speak up, Caesar snapped out of it.  
He looked at the young Frumentarius. The boy had been Vulpes' choice and had the slightest bit of a rebellious streak, just like his officer. But unlike Vulpes, Syrus had never questioned the Legion's doctrine and did what he was told.  
Caesar frowned a bit. He would have preferred someone else for this assignment, but the boy already had an established relationship with Sian. She liked him, perhaps even trusted the young soldier to some extent. There was no way she'd accept a stranger for what he had planned.

"Syrus. You have fulfilled your last task quickly and that does not go unnoticed. I already have a new one for you. It will take you away from the Fort for a while, but it is of utmost importance."

Syrus was immediately on guard. A few days ago, Caesar hadn't even known his name, now he spoke warmly, as if to let the boy in on a secret. His instincts, the ones that earned him a spot with the Frumentarii, warned him to be careful. He bowed his head and pressed his fist against his chest.

"I would be honoured. Whatever Lord Caesar wants, I shall deliver."

Caesar grinned while the Frumentarius broke eye contact. There was the deferential obedience he wanted in his men.

"Keep an eye on that girl. I'm sure you've noticed by now... there's an independence streak in her that hasn't been... broken... yet," His voice had become harsh. Syrus wasn't sure he liked the inflection. His Lord seemed to think Sian could be dangerous to the cause. The low, threatening timbre made Syrus uncomfortable, but he kept a passive face and didn't object.  
"This is a problem for anyone who is considered an asset to the Legion. You understand this very well, Syrus. Accompany her, and gauge where her loyalties lie... and if you can help it, make sure she doesn't... stray."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sian loaded her Ratslayer with armour-piercing 5.56mm rounds and advanced through the first hallway. A Protectron rounded the corner. The girl aimed, fired and cheered at one-shotting a robot. In a room across the hall she found three terminals on the wall. Sian wasn't all that tech-savvy, but she decided to try her luck nonetheless. The first terminal proved as inaccessible, so she tried to hack into the second one. She got into the password menu and saw that she had three chances of getting it right. Perusing the possible passwords, Sian thought hard.

 _Okay. Think! Let's try.. Unity. Nope.. Uhm, okay. How about Assessment? No! Fuck! Last try, last freaking try. Lemme see.. Betrayal. Is it? Aw, fuck it! Here goes nothing.._

Sian typed the word slowly, carefully punching every letter. When it was on the screen, she closed her eyes and hit the enter key.  
She peaked through her fingers and when she saw that she'd succeeded, the girl laughed like a child. Now the turrets were deactivated, and all because she got lucky!  
The last terminal was more difficult and she tried, but she got all three tries wrong. There would be no shutting off the Protectrons.

And so, the young girl fought her way through the Vault, peeking around corners and shooting from a distance. She tried to hurry, the increasing radiation made her feel nauseous and light-headed but she managed to get to the last room alive. She did manage to catch herself a nasty burn on her thigh.  
When she finally uploaded the Securitron updates to the command console, she was fatigued. When the Vault around her began to shake, Sian struggled to get to the entrance. She was limping and fighting the urge to throw up, but she made it back to the top floor where the same old guard was waiting for her. She might have imagined it but she thought that he looked slightly worried. Once again stripped off her weapons and the Chip, he send all other men away and had her sit down, leaning against a wall.

He crouched down in front of her, looked into her eyes and inspected the wound on her thigh. He sighed and reached into a pouch on his belt and pulled out a few lumpy squares and handed them to her. Sian took them with trepidation.

"Eat them, girl, they're not poisonous," his voice was deep, but surprisingly gentle. He sounded worried, "I know they look disgusting. And taste disgusting. But they wash the poison out."

Sian obeyed without much thought, chewing on the rubber-y substance. It was hard to chew, even harder to swallow. She looked at the man who was peeling the fabric off of her burn.

"What the hell did I just eat? Tasted like burnt rubber and old socks."

"Cave fungus," he replied with a small smile. He chuckled at her horrified expression, "I can't do anything for your leg now, but I suspect your profligate doctor can as soon as you're out of the Fort. Come on. Lord Caesar awaits your return."

He pulled her upright and steadied the girl as they walked. The cave fungus was actually working, she noted. Sian was still exhausted, but the nausea was wearing off.  
Before the tent, Aurelio was snoozing and Arcade was sitting leaned against a pole. At the sight of his young friend, he leapt up. The doctor looked worried, but Sian waved him off.

"I'm fine, I promise. I'll talk to Caesar real quick and we'll be on our way."

Once back inside the tent, Sian immediately noticed Syrus standing beside the throne. He paled a bit at the sight of her, but Caesar looked her way expectantly. There was appreciation in his gaze. The guard let go of the girl and walked to a table behind the throne and sat at it. He was looking through some papers on the wooden surface.

"I felt the ground shake a while back. I assume you fulfilled your task?" When Sian nodded, he continued, "Good, I said we would talk, but frankly, you look like hell. So here's my proposition. You take Syrus with you again. He'll be of help, I'm sure. He and I discussed what you need to know. Now, your next task," he flipped the platinum chip at her and Sian caught it out of the air, "You will kill House. After that, you report back to me. You have done well, Sian. You will serve the Legion admirably."

Sian simply smiled and Caesar allowed her to leave his presence. The old soldier, she figured him to be a praetorian by now, stood once again, stating he'd see her to the gates. Said it was a sign of respect. Caesar nodded absent-mindedly, thoughts already far away. He watched the three people leaving the tent with a pensive expression.

They collected Arcade and Aurelio outside and made their way down to the docks. Sian and Arcade got their weapons back. Lucius pulled her away once they were outside the Fort. He handed her a folded piece of paper, his large form hiding it from the guards.

"This is a map. Make haste, make no stops and head for Utah."

"What? Why? What's in Utah?" Her wide eyes were bright blue and seemed to glow in the fading darkness.

"Do as I say. As soon as you leave Legion territory, you're fleeing. Please, you have no reason to trust me, but I swear, I have your best interest in mind," He handed her a heavy pouch that jingled ominously, "Get better weapons and go. I promise, it will all make sense when you reach Zion."

Sian threw the man a last long look, tucked the map into her bag and stepped onto the raft where her companions were waiting.  
The entire ride down the Colorado, the girl slept and missed the most spectacular sunrise over the river. Neither Arcade nor Syrus spoke, but once the reached Cottonwood Cove, the blonde doctor picked up the girl, not bothering to wake her and he carried Sian through the Legion camp. Syrus threw glares at anyone who wanted to approach and little Aurelio kept beside the men, hissing and whining.  
They walked west, the sun in their backs, not looking back at the Cove. Both men were wondering just what to do next.


	19. Chapter 18

**Quick Authors Note  
** **First I'd like to thank my readers for over 2,580 views on Si vis pacem. It's amazing that people like to read my story.  
** **However, people have been getting very review-lazy. I don't want to beg for comments, but I'd love some feedback on my story. I want to know what you guys think, if there's anything you'd love to see, and even things that you didn't like.  
** **So, I have decided to stop posting for a while, but still keep on writing. I'm not sure for how long I'll take a break, but keep in mind: Feedbacks make me want to write a lot faster.**

 **Regardless, thank you for taking your time to read what I create. That means a lot as well. I definitely plan on finishing this story, so don't worry, it will go on eventually.**

Si vis pacem Chapter 18

Vulpes groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. He left the White Legs' camp with a massive migraine due, in part, to their horribly butchered manner of speaking. Their lack of tactical thinking was extremely frustrating as well. He had done his best to instil some common sense in them, had showed them the best ways to attack the enemy tribes. If they would actually employ his methods, let alone understand them, would remain to be seen. If they didn't, Vulpes was certain the White Legs would be wiped out of history. Then again, it wasn't his problem. He'd done as Caesar commanded and if these savages didn't listen, tough.  
Vulpes made camp that night, figuring he'd wait until next morning for his men. If they didn't show, he would head back to the Mojave alone. The only thing keeping him here over night was his sense of duty. He didn't like Crassus or Lucanus, but they were Frumentarii and therefore his responsibility.  
And so, he build a small fire and lie down as comfortable as possible, which wasn't much. What was it about sleeping outdoors? He constantly felt some pebble or twig sticking into his back. Seriously, what was wrong with wanting a bed?  
Vulpes grabbed the map that was peaking out of his bag and perused it. He could take the southern passage back, would save him from having to sneak past Deathclaws and was actually shorter. But there were more travellers and caravans on that route and he really didn't want to deal with that. No, he decided, he'd take the same route out as he had taken in. Vulpes stuffed the map back into his bag and curled up next to the fire. He fell asleep, pondering how strange it was that the desert was a lot colder at night than Zion Valley.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sian had woken up by the time they had just passed Novac. She was more than a bit irritated at Arcade carrying her, but he absolutely refused to put her down. Both men pressed on and absolutely refused to rest until they had too.  
When the little group had reach the 188, Sian decided to put her foot down, figuratively. The guys needed some rest and Arcade had been lugging her around all day. The blonde doctor set the girl down on a table and started to inspect her burn by the light of her PipBoy while Syrus went to find them some food. As long as the Legionary was gone, Sian quickly told Arcade what she had done in the Bunker. It wasn't that she didn't trust Syrus, and she was sure that he liked her, but the boy was loyal to Caesar. There was no need to take the risk. She did however, discuss with both of them what the Praetorian had told her.

"Lucius is Lord Caesar's most trusted adviser. He'd never work against him and Caesar's wishes are his as well. If he says you should go to Utah, you should," He regarded the girl with a thoughtful, eyes lingering on the burn that Arcade was disinfecting, "Though I admit, I have no idea how come he was so adamant about it. Nor why you should go immediately. But Lucius is a good man. We should go."

Sian agreed with him. There had been something about Lucius' voice that made her think it was important. She studied the map he had handed her.

"The quickest route is through the northern passage. We should take that one. He said to be quick and make no stops, but we have to get to Vegas first. Get some better gear and pick up Rex, Boone and Veronica." One look at her PipBoy told her it was now 11 PM.  
"You guys need some sleep. We'll stay here over night and head out at sunrise?"

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Come on, you can't trek up to Utah in dress shoes. Lucius gave me the money to gear up, that's what we're doing. So try on the damn combat armour and stop crying like a baby!"

Syrus bristled a bit at the comment, but pulled on the clothing without further fuss. Sian gave an exasperated smile and turned back to the Vendortron.

She and the Legionary were alone at the Gun Runners at the moment, with Arcade having gone to fetch their companions. The doctor had said he didn't need anything anyway, but Sian wasn't having it. Syrus had told her how much one Legion Aureus was worth and she was intent on putting the small fortune to good use.

"Hey, so we're taking the armour and give me a hi-cap terminal and a sheath stabilizer for a Plasma Defender."

Sian threw a glance at the young man who was currently fighting with the chest guard. Syrus was a great melee fighter and very dangerous with his machete, but he should have a gun. She didn't know how experienced he was, but a simple firearm shouldn't be to difficult to handle. Her blue eyes wandered over the wide selection of weapons. Arcade had taken her Ratslayer back to the Lucky 38 as she'd need a rifle that packed more of a punch.

 _Ooooh, what's that? Anti-materiel Rifle? What a beauty! That'd tear a hole right through a Deathclaw. And the kick of the rifle would probably break my shoulder... Not so ideal.  
But Boone would love it._

"Okay, I'll take a 10mm with a silencer and the extended magazine, and that Anti-Materiel Rifle. What are the modifications on that," Sian squinted at the little card underneath the rifle, "Give me the carbon fibre parts, the custom bolt and the suppressor. Add a sniper rifle and the available mods to that."

Syrus had finally gotten the combat armour on and everything latched and secured. The kevlar and synthetic fibres felt very different from his usual Legion garb, but it wasn't too bad. He watched as Sian shoved the golden coins at the robot and received a plethora of pain-bringers in return. They stowed away the modifications in Syrus' duffle bag and holstered up their own weapons.  
While waiting for Arcade to come back with the others, the teenagers checked their bags and looked through the rations and medical supplies they had bought from merchants along the way.  
They had enough water, some canned food, a trooper had even sold Sian some MRE's at a good price. Stimpacks, antidotes, MedX, bandages, suture kits.. All there. Syrus had promised to teach her how to make healing powder when they found brockflowers and Xander root.  
They were set. The only thing missing was their companions.

Not long after, Aurelio got excited and ran off to great his canine friend. Sian turned her head and saw Arcade and Boone walk towards them, but Veronica wasn't there.  
Before she could even say anything, Boone answered her unasked question.

"Veronica left a few days ago to go see her family," He pulled Sian to her feet and threw a nasty glare at Syrus, but it seemed like Arcade had warned him not to provoke fights. He looked back at Sian and continued. "I left her a note and told that Cowboy Robot to let her in if she came."

"Arcade told you everything?" He nodded. "Good. I have something for you!"

When Sian had noticed the men approaching, she'd quickly hid the huge rifle from view. Now she grabbed it and held it out for Boone with a huge grin on her face. He looked awestruck. He didn't say anything but she saw his eyes light up when she looked up at him. Seemed like she had made the right choice.

Boone reached out for the rifle with a disbelieving look upon his face. The sniper thought he'd need a few months to save up for this and here it was.  
"Thanks," he ground out. Boone was never good at showing emotion or gratitude, but this time he didn't really have to. Sian just smiled knowingly at him, shouldered her bag and started off, the canines beside her. The men followed her after a second, Syrus quickly falling in pace beside her and they travelled north, leaving the lights of New Vegas behind them.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Two weeks passed relatively uneventfully, the group of four walking all day and sitting around the fire at night. Arcade and Syrus had slowly warmed up to each other, while Boone did his best to ignore the Legionary and vice versa.  
Sian had showed Syrus, over the two weeks, how to clean his new gun and attach the mods. He'd had some basic training in the Legion, but the finer points escaped him.  
It was a normal sight on this journey, all of them sitting around the fire at night, maintaining and modifying their weapons.

By the times Vulpes Inculta had finally made it back to the Mojave, Sian and her friends were about two days away from reaching Zion. Today had been one of those days, where the critters just wouldn't leave them be, and Sian was exhausted. As usual, when they had eaten, she lie down to sleep while Syrus, Boone and Arcade still stayed up. They rarely woke the girl to keep watch at night and Sian was grateful. Traversing this rough terrain was strenuous on her, and she should sleep easy, but it wasn't so.  
Ever since they had returned from the Fort, the girl had slept fitfully, often having nightmares that made no sense to her. Boone and Syrus both remained oblivious to this, but Arcade noticed the dark shadows under her eyes.  
When he tried to ask her about it however, Sian just smiled and said it was nothing worth mentioning. How could she explain it, when she wasn't even sure what she saw herself.  
Sian listened to Arcade and Syrus talk, but quickly drifted off to sleep, rolled into her blanket. Rex and Aurelio were curled into her side, like every night, and she felt content, warm and safe.

Boone was sitting near the fire silently, cleaning his two rifles and Sian's new sniper rifle. Throughout the journey he had been more quiet than usual, still wary of the Legionary in their presence. The boy had proven himself a capable fighter, was willing to carry his weight and didn't pick fights. Boone still didn't like him. That boy always stuck to Sian like gum, the two of them either talking seriously or laughing at some stupid jokes. It was nice to see her carefree and happy, but the sniper was still concerned that Syrus would sway her opinion of the Legion. Right now, Boone once again listened to him and Arcade discuss politics. It usually gave him a headache, but he'd never thought about many of the things that the other two men talked about. The conversation slowly grew louder, but one glance at Sian, who was curled up next to him, showed him that she was fast asleep.

"Why are we so wrong?" Syrus asked heatedly, "The dissolute are riddled with diseases. They drink, gamble, behave like animals! They destroy their brains with chems! The Legion doesn't permit this destructive behaviour. We are held to higher virtues, and yet, we are called savages!"

"Higher virtues would imply that you actually uphold all of the signed agreements you make with other tribes that you intercept and pretend to befriend. Name me a single tribe that you didn't betray and break down into Legionaries or crucified resisters." Arcade retorted, attempting to remain as polite as possible, though Boone was able to note the seriousness in his voice. "You are referred to as savages because your answer to the problems-such as drinking, gambling, and prostitution-is to simply kill everyone in your path rather than even attempt to find a peaceful solution. Your virtues would be much more valuable if they weren't supported by betrayal, slavery, and outright intolerance for everyone else in the world."

A muscle in Syrus cheek twitched as he listened to the older man across the fire. Arcade was intelligent, and nice in his own way, but in the end he was just another profligate. They would never understand...  
"It is necessary. It may not be pretty, but in the end all the pain is worth is. Through suffering comes purity. All the tribes we incorporate into the Legion are given direction and purpose. We teach them how to fight, they are united under one banner, speak the same language. Old enemies fight as brothers," Syrus wasn't even aware that he was reciting the exact same things he'd been taught as a boy.  
"Caesar must cleanse the world with fire, so that it can be built again. Mars commands it and his heir follows the word like a good son would. Unlike the degenerates in California, the Legion believes in Loyalty and Honour. There is no corruption in our ranks and leading positions are earned, not bought! Drinking and gambling cannot be tolerated as they weaken a man, make him feeble and dependant. We don't want to wipe everyone out, we want to save them. It's nothing to do with intolerance but with weeding out the weak!"

Arcade gave Syrus an odd smile. To anyone who didn't know Arcade, it might have looked snarky or sarcastic, but the doctor felt an overwhelming wave of pity overcome him as he listened to the boy talk. "Do you really believe in Gods among men?" Arcade asked in a calmer voice. "You, yourself, when you think about it and come to your own conclusions - do you really believe that your Lord Caesar is a God? I respect you as a person, Syrus. Your ideals of loyalty and honour are as prominent as ever. But they don't reflect the true colours of the Legion. The Legion preaches loyalty and honour, but they act exactly the opposite. They've betrayed every tribe they've ever encountered, and killed anyone who didn't agree to conform to them. Your women and children are kept as slaves, females being seen as inferior breeders and nothing more. That's completely dishonourable." He glimpsed at the sleeping girl illuminated by the flames, then continued.  
"Weeding out the weak is easy. You don't have to do anything; the weak die off, or they make themselves stronger to survive. All of humanity is that way, regardless of their doctrine or their chem use, or their lack thereof. Survival of the fittest is not something anyone can escape, and it certainly isn't a divine law that ought to be enforced by enslavement and bloodshed. I'll let you in on a secret, Syrus. Your Caesar was one of us. He was a Follower. His name was Edward Sallow... before he went off the deep end and decided to play dress up and re-enact history like he's preforming a play. Your Lord Caesar was just a profligate. He's an ordinary man, like you are, like I am. That's all there is to it."

Syrus eyes widened at the information. That couldn't be true! Lord Caesar, a profligate? He said nothing, wasn't able to find words, so he just stared into the fire, jaw clenched and thinking hard.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 _ _ **Sian was standing amidst the flames. The small town shone a bright orange against the night sky.  
Screams and sobs rang through the air and filled her with trepidation and excitement in equal parts. Her small hand was clenched around the grip of her Combat Knife, blood dripping from the blade. A small puddle had formed next to her feet.  
The smell of burning flesh was thick in the air...that familiar, sickening, musty sensation, filling her lungs with every inhale... breathing the flesh of the fallen... Sian's thoughts were racing a mile a minute and she started running. She was almost out of town when a deep, cold voice sliced through her head and suddenly, she was back where she started.  
"Pile body upon body." The sound felt like fingers stroking over her spine, raising goosebumps all over her body.  
She KNEW this voice. Slowly, ever so slowly, the girl turned around. A man stood before her but Sian couldn't see his face. His features were contorted, twisting..  
Before they had a chance to settle, she felt constricted, fear, anger and excitement washing over her. She was being crushed, the pain was incredible.  
Sian's mouth opened to a scream but no sound came out as she was being drowned in a maelstrom of black and crimson.**__

Sian woke up screaming, completely disorientated and, for a moment, unable to discern between reality and dream. All three men flinched at the sound. Boone was closest and grabbed her arms and pulled her around to face him. It took a few seconds, but her eyes widened in realization as the girl recognized him. Another few seconds passed and a look of horror crept over her face. Syrus watched the girl worriedly and Arcade came to sit beside her. He didn't say a word, knowing Sian wouldn't answer his question now anyway, just pulled her away from Boone. The small girl nearly vanished in his embrace. Sian didn't fight him. The longer she could hide herself away, the longer she wouldn't have to face any questions.  
The blonde doctor kept silent, looking at the two other men over Sian's head. A silent understanding passed between them. There was no need to bother the girl over this nightmare, no reason to bring it up.  
But Arcade vowed to keep a closer eye on her. If this happened more often, he'd force her to talk to him about it.

Sian refused to go back to sleep. Nothing they did or said could sway her decision, so Boone, Arcade and Syrus took turns, staying awake and keeping watch on their small camp and her. But eventually, the night passed and they packed up. Sian studied her map while they walked, figuring they'd reach Zion sometime next day. She was tired, but she did her best to not slow everyone down.  
All was fine until about 2 PM, when Rex and Aurelio played and stumbled upon a Cazador nest. They soon realized there were too many of them to fight and ran.  
Sian and Syrus had their machetes out, swinging them at anything bright orange, but they all knew escape was their only chance. They made it to a small riverbed when Arcade tripped and splashed face-first into the water. Syrus was the one to notice first and when he saw one of the venomous, mutated butterflies zero in on the doctor, he took a truly spectacular leap back and swung his blade, severing one of the wings at the joint.  
It flopped straight to the ground, but now there was no more running. Boone aimed his rifle and Sian took a fighting stance, ankle-deep in the water. She was willing to fight, but there was a look of intense terror on her face.

 _ _Why does it have to be Cazadors? Oh we're so done for...__

As soon as that though passed through her mind, a ferocious growling was heard in the brush. All heads turned, it seemed like even the Cazadors where distracted.

"Go get your dinner, boys!"

Suddenly, chaos erupted. Too many things happened at once. The Cazadors lost interest in them completely, which Syrus used to hoist Arcade to his feet and retreat further back.  
Something rushed out of the under-brush, something the little group of travellers had avoided at all costs. An entire herd of freaking Yao Guais.  
Boone grabbed Sian's wrist and yanked her behind him. There was no way in hell they could fight off all these mutants, but damn him if he'd not try.

The Yao Guais tore apart the Cazadors in no time and were feasting on them. The friends never lowered their weapon but the enormous mutants ignored them entirely.  
A woman stepped out onto the little clearing and the beasts crowded around her, behaving like puppies.  
Sian was peaking out from behind the men who had crowded in front of her, thin arms wrapped around the Sniper's elbow, and examined this strange newcomer.  
It was a woman, taller than her, with a lean build, brown hair and shining blue eyes.  
She faced the group and started to laugh.

"My babies just saved you, mind lowering your weapons? They're not going to eat you unless I tell them to."

Sian's eyes lit up. While the guys lowered their weapons, she grinned.

"Babies? As in pets? Wow, that's awesome," Her voice was disbelieving, her face eager, "Can I pet them?"

"Are you fucking insane?"

"Sure you can," the strange woman motioned toward the Yao Guais, and threw a glare at Boone, "They won't hurt you."

Sian pushed past Boone and Arcade and darted towards the huge, bear-like creatures. They moved in on her, shoving her around with their enormous bodies. She giggled as they sniffed at her and drove her fingers through the soft fur. Syrus sheathed his machete and carefully drew closer and, at a nod from the stranger, he held his hand out to one of the mutants. They seemed to sense the difference in him and Sian and shoved at him a lot more forcefully, but still playful.  
Arcade and Boone traded an incredulous glance. Sian was reckless, they both knew that, but they hadn't expected the Legionary to join in.

"Well, you guys look like you need some good food and a bed for the night. I have both," She looked between the 4 unlikely people, "I'm Marrita by the way. Who are you?"

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

They were all sitting together around a campfire in front of Marrita's house. She had brought out a ridiculous amount of Bighorner steaks that Syrus was currently roasting over the open flame. It had become customary for him and Sian to prepare the meals and it was not something they were willing to give up.

Throughout the conversation Marrita had revealed to them that she had settled here and started training Yao Guai after she had found a wounded cub a few years back. That cub was now the biggest of the animals, a 200 lbs mutant named William.  
Marrita had been particularly interested in what a young girl was doing, running around the country with three men. It had taken a while to explain her story, all of them contributing, but leaving out anything too personal.  
As they ate, everyone made some smalltalk, but later in the evening, Boone up and vanished. Sian didn't worry. He'd done that aver since they met and everyone was used to him needing his alone time by now.  
After Boone had been gone, Marrita excused herself and left them.

Syrus sat across Sian and watched her over the flames as he had when they had first met. She was telling Arcade about.. something. The boy wasn't really listening, just watched her face.  
It was usually so guarded but now she was comfortable and her expressions changed like waves. It was then that he noticed the one that always irritated him.  
Her eyes..

"Hey Sian," he cut in and she looked at him questioningly, "Why does your eye colour change? In the last 10 minutes it changed like four times."

"What the hell are you talking about?" she asked confusedly.

"There, it just happened again! From bright blue to dark blue, just like that" Syrus was starting to get excited now and just when Sian started to respond, Arcade spoke up.

"I saw it to. This is interesting. Some people's eye colour appears to change depending on lighting, but this," he steepled his fingers together, starting at the girl intently, "Your case is different. It changed from a greyish blue to deep cerulean. We'll have to keep an eye on that. With your eyes changing like they do, we don't even know your actual eye colour."

"Well, if you say so," Sian shrugged and leaned back into on of the Yao Guais, a smaller one named Elizabeth, and cuddled herself into it's fur. The bear-like creature didn't seem to mind and gave a contented hum.  
"I haven't noticed it yet and I can't say that I care much."

They kept on talking, never noticing that neither Boone nor Marrita came back.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The brunette found the burly sniper in a small clearing near the river. He was sitting on the riverbank, his rifle next to him and just glaring at the water. She came closer and sat down beside him. Boone did not acknowledge her presence, but he didn't shy away either.

"You know, for someone who almost ended up as dinner for a mutated bug, you run off rather fearlessly." There was an unmistakeable smirk in her voice.

Boone didn't want to respond, he had no reason to. This woman was a stranger, after all. But there was something about her voice, her entire personality really, that compelled him to answer.

"We would have managed somehow. Always do. But thanks, anyway." He stole a glance her way and found the woman to be looking back at him unabashedly.  
He looked away again. The sniper wasn't good at social interactions, never was. Sian had forced him out of his shell a bit, leaving him with no choice but to respond to her. With this woman it was different however. She sighed a bit and Boone thought she'd probably just leave, the thought oddly weighing on him. Instead, she spoke again.

"So, what made you follow a sixteen year old kid across the country? Doesn't seem like a normal thing to do."

"I don't know. She was hurt when I met her, passed out on me before I even knew her name," He rolled his shoulders, thinking back to the service Sian'd done him, "There was something I needed done, she did it without hesitation. Made see a few things differently."

"Quite the feat for a child," that got a chuckle out of the stoic man, it sounded more like an accident though.

Boone tried to find something to say. He felt like he needed to say something. But he didn't know what. He didn't even know why he wanted to talk to her, since Carla he hadn't had the urge to talk to any woman. His companions were one thing, he talked to them, but they all knew that Boone preferred to listen and Sian was the only one to ever push him to talk.  
While the ex-soldier still looked for something to say, Marrita leaned back and propped herself up on her elbows.

"You don't have to talk. You went through a lot, I can see that. And when you've seen a lot of shit, you don't want to talk, believe me, I get that," She sat up again, looking at him, the bright blue eyes shining in the fading light, "And I get if you don't.. If you don't want to.. Look, I'll be straight with you. I don't get many visitors here, and I'm not trying to push it here, but..."

Boone looked at her, a quizzical expression on his face. Before he could ask what she was talking about, Marrita was on him. Her arms snaked around his neck and she kissed him.  
It took him a minute to process what was happening, but he reacted on instinct, returning the kiss. He drew the woman close, his grip on her tightening.  
Marrita drew back from him, smirking devilishly.

"What I wanted to know, is if you wanted this? Us? Or am I being too bold?"

Again, Boone didn't know what to say. But right now, it wasn't necessary. He understood that this was just what it was. A request, no strings attached and while he never thought it would happen, now that it did, he didn't want to resist. This woman intrigued him. Her boldness reminded him of Carla. Boone shook her from his thoughts and focused on the woman straddling his lap. With a throaty growl he slung an arm across her waist and rolled them over with ease. The motion caused him to grind his hips against her and she let out a deep moan, a sound of pure pleasure that sent a spark through his entire body.  
Marrita lay underneath him, and pulled of his shades. Her blue orbs met his green ones and she smiled at him. Not smirked, not grinned, simply smiled. Boone didn't hold back any longer. Couldn't hold back. He leaned in and kissed her with vigour. Feeling a warm body underneath him once more was bliss. Marrita grazed his back with her nails and Boone shivered in anticipation and when she bit his lower lip playfully, he knew he was in for a long night. He pulled away from her and a feral grin crept over his face. She hooked her muscled legs around his hips, drew him in and Boone simply let go, biting into the sensitive skin in the crook of her neck and thrust against her.  
Marrita hissed out a curse when she felt his teeth grazing against her skin. She stretched out beneath him, offering him easier access to her neck, smiling like a Cheshire cat.

"A very good answer, soldier boy."


	20. Chapter 19

"Oh, look at this place! It's so pretty!" Sian's eyes were wide as saucers as soon as they exited the cave.

The small group approached the plateau, the blue-haired girl a lot faster than her companions.  
Zion Valley was an unbelievable place. The steep, high canyon walls enclosed the valley, painting it in reds and yellows. Trees grew everywhere, a vibrant green like she had only seen in the woods on Mt. Charleston and a beautiful, blue river ran through the Valley.  
Sian stepped dangerously close to the edge of the plateau and stared at the sight before her in awe, as did Boone, Arcade and Syrus.  
The wasteland was amazing in it's own way, even the ruined and broken buildings adding to the twisted, warped beauty of the desert. But this was inconceivable.

"Doesn't this place just sort of make you feel.. small?" Sian asked with a breathless voice, "This.. It is.. All the colours missing from the Mojave are all here, blending together perfectly.. I just.. It makes you realize how great God must be to have created such a place.." she trailed off, entirely oblivious to the weird stares her companions were giving her. Sian didn't know why she said what she said, but as soon as the words left her mouth, she knew that she meant them.  
But something was off, something in this beautiful panorama was misplaced. Her eyes followed the river and, a few yards down, a suspension bridge spanned the 50' drop.  
That was the source of the disturbance.. There were two corpses hanging from that bridge. Corpses in Legion armour.. Destroyed, but there was no mistaking it.

Syrus felt his breath hitch in his throat as all eyes turned to him. Those were the two that left with Vulpes on a mission he hadn't been clued into.  
He didn't face anyone, but the boy started speaking, answering the unasked questions.

"They are Frumentarii. I have no idea what they're doing here, but they left a few days before I did, along with.. the head of our division," He caught himself, not wanting to reveal Vulpes' name before the doctor or the NCR grunt. He glanced sideways, catching Sian look at him with a sympathetic expression.  
"I didn't know them much, but still.. Brothers-in-arms and all."

Arcade looked at the corpses. Even from a distance, it was clear that they died under agony. They were Legion, but in the end, they were still human.  
"Come on, we'll get them off the bridge. No one should be left hanging like that."

Syrus stared at him incredulously. He hadn't expected any compassion from the men, Sian, yes, sure. That was just how she was, but Arcade hated the Legion almost as much as much as Boone did, just more verbally.  
"Can.. Can we burn them?" he inquired with a soft voice, "Warriors must be burned."

"Sure, kid."

Surprisingly, it was Boone who said that. Sian looked as if she'd just been clocked in the head, and Arcade's expression was similar, but the sniper stoically ignored them.  
He'd been a soldier for years, and he knew about rituals.  
The NCR collected dog tags, the Legion burned their fallen. It didn't make much difference to him, and as much as he hated them, his anger was wasted on the dead.

The group made their way over to the bridge. Since they were very out in the open, Sian and Boone covered them to both sides while Arcade and Syrus hoisted the bodies up.  
Laying them out on the other side of the bridge, the doctor examined the corpses and it didn't take long to determine they'd died of severe blood loss, were basically exsanguinated. The torn uniforms showed spacious burn wounds on the two mens' chests, throats and faces, numerous lacerations all over them, quite possibly a few fractures. They'd died long before they were strung up, and they had passed in extreme pain.  
The doctor's idealist streak reared its ugly head as he gazed down at the men. They were Legion, he hated what they stood for, but they were just men and they had suffered immensely.

Sian helped Syrus gather up wood and brush and together, they managed to erect an improvised pyre. They drenched the bodies in alcohol and lit them up.  
Syrus stared into the flames as they ate away at his fellow Frumentarii, an unreadable expression on his face.  
Sian, Boone and Arcade waited for him. The pyre stood on rocky ground and could be left alone without half the Valley burning down.  
Suddenly the blue-haired girl sensed something and her head jerked up. She spun around, lifting her rifle as she did. A few feet away stood a man with tribal clothing and many tattoos. He wore a trucker cap adorned with feathers and startled look upon his face.  
His hands rose in submission.

"Ooh, you are good. Most people don't hear me that quick."

His voice sounded strange to Sian's ears. He over-enunciated the words and his tone sounded a bit thick.

"Who are you? Why are you sneaking up on us like that?" Sian's tone wasn't really hostile, but it wasn't all too friendly either.

"Don't worry. I don't mean harm. I was just seeing you take the men off the bridge and wanted to ask; why?"

"Because even they deserve better than hanging there." Arcade interjected before Sian, or Syrus, could reply.

The tribal just cocked his head sideways. He clearly understood Arcade but didn't seem to agree with him. The man narrowed his eyes at them and his voice became slightly angry.

"These men tried to kill our chief. Joshua killed them first. We left them as a warning, that no one else comes for him." he calmed himself quickly, "I am sorry. You came from outside, didn't you? From the civilized lands? Wow... Joshua will want to hear about this."

"Well, I don't know about civilized," Arcade snarked out, "But yes, from the outside."

He wasn't sure if he wanted this Joshua to know about them being here however. If he could torture someone like that..  
Probably best to avoid him all together.  
Syrus ground his teeth together so hard, it hurt. He didn't know who Lucanus and Crassus had been here for, just knew that Vulpes had been with them. The fact that his body wasn't on display, made him think that he had gotten away. But nevertheless, they were Legion. He was tempted to finish their job.

"Take us to him," Sian waved Arcade's incredulous interjection away, "I want to meet him."

All of her companions stared at her with varying degrees of surprise, Boone being the least shocked. If it was dangerous, Sian wanted to see it, do it or kill it. He fought the urge to roll his eyes. That would be too childish.  
The tribal however smiled widely.

"Goot sists. We head east, then. Joshua is at our tribe's camp in the Eastern Virgin."

"Wait a minute," Sian called when he'd already turned to walk away, "What's your name? And what are you doing out here anyway?"

"I'm called Follows-Chalk. Joshua sent me to scout for any outsiders coming up from the Southern Passage."

"Aha," she replied, not commenting on the unusual name, "Well, I'm Sian. These are Boone, Arcade and Syrus."

"Heh, strange names you have." He chuckled a bit, "You must tell me what they mean. We can talk more about it later, though - it's not smart to keep Joshua waiting."

He started to walk, down the path and Sian was quick to follow him. The guys shared a look of understanding between them. Letting Sian make the decisions was normal for them, but she tended to make weird ones.  
Like wanting to meet a man who tortured his assailants to death...

They'd follow her nonetheless, just like they always did.

Follows-Chalk led the group down dusty trails, occasionally commenting on landmarks that his tribe weren't allowed to visit, calling them Back-When places.

The one he showed them was an old Park Ranger Station and Sian looted some medical supplies from the place.  
If every old world building was still intact, they might find some interesting things here, she figured.

Eventually they followed him into a river. Boone and Arcade grumbled about that a bit, but Sian and, surprisingly, Syrus had no problems with it and just slipped off shoes and socks and seemed to enjoy wading through the water.  
Aurelio and Rex were having the time of their lives, paddling around the not so shallow river.  
As the river forked off into three directions, it got too deep for Sian to even stand. Pragmatic as ever, she just propped herself up on Syrus shoulders and let him pull her though the deep water.

"What is this place?" Sian inquired as she looked around, her eyes trying to dart everywhere at once.  
"It's beautiful here. There's even fish in the water."

"There's what?" Syrus asked, looking puzzled. Boone had perked up as well. _What the hell were fish?_

"Fish. Look down, you dweeb. The little, scaly things flitting through the water." Syrus apparently only just really noticed the little creatures and now watched them in awe. She grinned and turned back to Follows-Chalk. "So? This place?"

"This is the eastern fork of the Virgin River, and it's the place we Dead Horses call home." he stated proudly, "Joshua says it is a temple to God's glory on earth."

The four wastelanders had nothing to say to that, but all of them agreed on some level. This land with all the fresh water, the vegetation everywhere. It was definitely something else. The word 'blessed' drifted through Sian's mind. When the river got shallower, and she could finally walk again, Boone asked their guide how far it'd take them to reach the camp.

"Nearly there now. Watch out for traps in the water. Got to keep the White Legs out somehow, neh?"

Boone simply growled, while Sian and Arcade bickered at each other, debating whether or not it would make a difference if she got caught in a bear trap with her boots on or off.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Meanwhile, inside of Angel Cave, the legendary Burned Man sat lost amidst his thoughts, unknowing of the guest he would soon receive.

Almost half a decade had passed since he was cast out of his Legion, still Joshua was reminded of it everyday. Some days, the only thing pulling his thoughts back would be the burns on his skin. These were the good days.. But others..  
He had never paid much attention to most of the recruits, but he might have known the two men who'd arrived in his new home, by order of Caesar, to kill the Burned Man.  
He had gotten carried away a bit, lost himself in his old ways and had taken revenge on some people who didn't really deserve it.  
It was one of the very bad days.  
He found himself gazing at an old photograph again. It was something that none of his new tribal brothers knew he possessed, a relic of his past, which he usually kept tucked away in his Bible as a bookmark. This faded, old picture was the only thing left of who he had been and it was the only object Joshua really treasured. But he didn't spend much time staring at it, for it reminded him of all that he had lost.  
But today, for some unknown reason, he'd been looking at it more frequently than usual.  
The Lord always sent a shiver down his spine whenever he'd act in his mysterious ways, giving him tiny signs like this and indicating that something important was about to happen.

He knew one shouldn't question how come something was happening.  
However, the 'why' of it always managed to gnaw at the back of his skull. Joshua instinctively slid the picture back into the Bible when he heard a few people march up the pathway of the cave. The Dead Horses knew better than to bother him this time of day. He looked up to see three men and a rather young woman walk up to him. She met his gaze and he saw his own blue eyes staring at him out of a face that he had once known.  
Only one other person had that shade of blue.  
He stood, staring at her face, drinking in the details.  
"Sian..."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sian stood between her friends when the man looked up and she heard Syrus inhale sharply. But when the man stared at her, his bright eyes shining through the bandages, she hardly heard his muttering.

"By Mars, it's true.. The Burned Man walks.. I thought it was just a story."

It seemed like Boone and Arcade had also heard of him, because Boone immediately tensed and the doctor fidgeted, eyes widening behind his glasses. Sian was about to ask what the fuss was about, when the bandaged man said her name.  
She froze.  
His deep voice was hoarse, but there was smooth undertone. It sounded.. smokey. It sounded soothing, but Sian only noticed that on the side. Her eyes fixed on the bandaged face.

"How do you know my name?" Her suspicious voice seemed to tear him out of his entrancement. The man slowly approached, as if he were unsure of the ground beneath him. The light blue eyes were shining and, very suddenly, Sian was pulled into a rib-breaking embrace.  
The entire situation was so bizarre, none of the men knew how and if to intervene.  
Sian was squished against the Kevlar west he was wearing and felt the man's chest vibrate when he chuckled.  
Taking a deep breath, a familiar scent hit her nostrils. One of leather, of black coffee and something else, something light, like the air after a rainfall.

"I thought you were dead... Oh, thank God, you're not dead."

He continued to ramble, but it all blended together to a faint rumbling for the girl. The sound of his voice, the smell that surrounded him, it was all painfully familiar.  
Sian relaxed into the embrace, and just... was.

 _ **Sian was sitting in the dusty yard behind the palace. It was a hot summer day and she was bored with the doll she was to play with, absent-mindedly scratching at a fresh bandage on her leg. The other girls would've given an arm for a doll to play with, but Sian preferred the dull butter knife she'd stolen from the dinner table a few days ago. But her minder would take it away if she saw that...  
The girl grabbed her toy and started wandering around the yard, not going anywhere in particular.  
Soon, she found herself behind a row of large yucca plants, out of sight of the woman who was supposed to watch her. With a sly grin, she pulled her blunt weapon from underneath her tunic and started hacking away at the plants.  
She was so immersed in her new game, she never heard her name being called.**_

 _ **"There you are. What are you doing back here?" Sian flinched and turned on the spot. She wasn't supposed to sneak off and was certainly in trouble now.**_

 _" **I'm just playing a game," she muttered, while staring down at her feet. She peaked up beneath her dark fringes and caught sight of the impassive face gazing down at her. She gulped. Feeling the need to explain herself, she continued.  
"I don't like playing dolls. But Athena says I have to because girls do that. I just wanted to fight.. I'm sorry.  
And suddenly, he laughed. Well, not a real laugh, more of a chuckle. He picked her up and embraced the small girl, then set her on his hip and started to march toward the palace.**_

 _ **"You know you're not supposed to run off. You got hurt last time. But I'll have words with Athena, don't you worry about it, princess. We should probably get you something better than an old butter knife, hmm?"**_

 _ **Sian looked at him and saw the smile in his eyes more than his face. She gave him a wide, toothy grin. He was always gone for so long, but when he was back, he made everything better. She laid her head on his shoulder, breathing in the leathery scent.**_

 _ **"I missed you, Daddy."**_

Sian pulled away from the man, eyes torn open in shock. The face she'd just seen had been unblemished, a few lines dug in from the sand and sun of the desert, but nothing like these burns she could see underneath the bandages.  
But the eyes, the light, electrical blue was the same. Sian just stared, not caring, nor really remembering that her friends were still there.  
This was crazy, too crazy even for her. That bullet had scrambled more of her brain than previously thought, because there was no way in hell that this was happening.  
Images flashed through her mind at a speed unthinkable, leaving her with nothing but a few impressions and the unshakable feeling of falling, as if the floor had crumbled open beneath her.

Joshua simply looked down at this girl, at his girl, with a smile. She was different, older, more hardened and her hair wasn't black any more, but he recognized her immediately. Looking up like she did, he could see the scars on her hairline and recognized them for what they were. He could also see the girl's eyes, the blue holding a swirl of emotion, but no recognition. A dark look passed over what little could be seen of his face.

"What happened to you?" he growled. Sian just stared at him, seemingly stuck and not moving a muscle.  
"Sian, child.. Talk to me."

At that sentence, everything set into motion. Sian broke away from him, taking a few shaky steps backward, a look of horror on her face. She turned and ran. Arcade tried to grab her but she dodged him and was out of the cave within seconds.  
Joshua watched his daughter flee from him with pain in his eyes, but Sian had always run off when something was troubling her.  
He knew she'd be back once she thought through whatever was bothering her. His gaze shifted to her companions, really noticing them for the first time. The grunt was glaring daggers at him and the boy seemed terrified, but the blonde man in the Followers lab coat had apparently forgotten him entirely.  
The bandaged man stepped in front of the three strangers, giving each of them an icy glare, his eyes lingering on Arcade.

"What happened to my daughter?"

The blonde doctor looked at the man before him, and felt a stab of fear. This was the famed Malpais Legate, and in those eyes, Arcade saw just how dangerous this man was. He'd have to be careful how to phrase this, but he wanted answers as well..  
Their sweet, helpful Sian was the daughter of the most feared warrior of the Legion? No way... His normal composed thoughts went wild, and Arcade found himself unable to focus.

"Your da-, Sian, she.." Arcade was stumbling over his own words, "There's no easy way to say this apparently but she..."

"She got shot in the head," Syrus blurted in from the side, earning himself a glare from Arcade and a low growl from Joshua. He gulped, but didn't back down when Graham rounded on him. It was hard to reconcile for the boy that this man, who was covered in bandages, was the fabled Legate. Syrus had seen him from afar a few times when he inspected the recruits training. His Frumentarius training kept him from shying away, but his eyes looked younger than ever.  
Before Joshua could snap at him however, Arcade stepped in before Syrus could be torn to shreds.

"So yeah.. She got shot, but physically, she's fine. She has amnesia however.. Which leads to a follow-up," Arcade squinted at the bandaged man from behind is lenses.  
"I know who you are, and I know Sian. She's kind and sweet and .. well, pardon me for saying this... there is no way she was raised by a legionary. By a Legate."

Boone was grinding his teeth together, but didn't trust himself to speak. If this truly was Graham, he deserved a bullet to the head, but he claimed to be Sian's father. Against his better judgement, he was curious.  
Graham just stared at the blonde man, who was a few inches taller than himself. A nasty twinkle appeared in his eyes and the bandages shifted when he sneered.

"And what would you know? You have only heard the horror stories of the 'Malpais Legate' nothing more. You know nothing of the Legion, other than how they wage war. My daughter was raised like any other child in the wasteland."

"Now I don't mean to be rude, Legate... Or, ex-Legate, or Joshua, or Burned Man. Sorry, I don't know what you go by," Arcade crossed his arms over his chest, not fazed by the dismissive tone he was addressed with.  
"But anyway... I'm having trouble picturing someone like you-no offence-raising someone like her. Forgive me for prying, but... well... how?"

Graham sighed. It didn't seem like this man would just leave it alone. He cast a subtle glance at the other two men. The grunt still looked like he wanted to bludgeon him, the NCR beret being a big hint as to why.  
The sandy-haired boy looked downright horrified, despite the composure. That child knew who he was and called him 'Burned Man'...  
Looking closer, Joshua could see the faint gold glimmer of a chain around his neck. That boy could very well be Legion.  
But how in the name of God would it happen that a Legionary, an NCR soldier and a Follower of the Apocalypse made it all the way from Vegas to Zion without murdering each other? And why was his daughter with them?

"Sian was raised in Flagstaff, like most children of Legion officers. I'm more interested in how she is still alive and why she is with you.."  
Graham stared Arcade down and the doctor had the fight the urge to back away. He was taller, and by no means weak, but there was something about Graham, something underneath. The threat rolled off him in waves.  
At this point, Boone, who had nearly crushed his teeth by now, decided to get himself involved.

"Sian isn't Legion! She isn't anything like you slaving, murderous animals! How could she, she's just a girl! A slave to your Legion!"

There was a short, heavy silence. Slowly, Graham's icy gaze wandered to rest on the sniper. There was a fire in his eyes, one that Boone had once seen in Sian. There tension was thick enough to cut with a knife and it looked like the former Legate was summoning every ounce of restraint that he possessed, lest he'd tear Boone from limb to limb.

"She was never a slave! Never meant to be! You know nothing, you stupid, little footsoldier! Do you ha-"

"Joshua!" Follows-Chalk came barrelling into the cave, looking worried, "We have a problem!"

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sian ran. Once she'd stormed out of the cave, the tribals dove out of her way, looking scared. She needed to be alone, to think.  
Still incapable of forming a complete thought, her leaps grew longer as she sprinted out of the Dead Horses' camp.  
She never noticed the person trying, and failing, to keep up with her, and didn't think much of where she was going. After what felt like hours of running, Sian came over a narrow, natural bridge and her foot caught on something. The girl smashed to the ground, nearly sliding of one of the many cliffs that littered Zion Valley.  
Shaking the stars from her vision and sweeping the hair from her face, Sian looked around. She'd been so deep in thought that she'd stopped watching the ground beneath her.

"God freaking dammit.. Too many fucking tree roots around." She grumbled to herself while looking around and noticed quickly that she had not tripped over a root. Her foot had caught on an old, battered service rifle.

"What the..." Sian grabbed the weapon and examined it, any distraction welcome. It looked incredibly old and as if it had been jury-rigged quite a few times, but still seemed to be in working order. The word 'ARRET' was scratched into the stock of the rifle.

 _Arret... What does 'Arret' mean? I wonder, who felt the need to leave this on a gun.. I'd love to know what it means. These messages from decades ago, centuries maybe.. So fascinating, so precious, so.. Oh, who're you kidding. You can't just ignore this._

Sian let her head fall back with a groan, she desperately wanted to just wanted to forget what transpired. But it was on the forefront of her mind, so she might as well think about it.  
Leaning back against the rocky edge, hugging the rifle, head leaned back and eyes closed.

 _So.. I found family, huh? He recognized me.. I always thought if someone'd finally recognize me, I'd feel wonderful, but now... This is so strange._

Reflecting upon the strange memory that had assaulted her when the bandaged man hugged her, Sian felt an overwhelming sadness. And happiness, security and anxiousness. It was all so frustrating.  
So, apparently that man back in the cave was her father.  
He'd said something about thinking she were dead, which was never a good sign. What had happened? Why were they separated in the first place? After his reaction to her, Sian didn't think he had abandoned her.  
He'd been so happy to see her again. But then, why hadn't he been there? Where had her father been when she was shot in the head? When she'd been attacked by raiders? Or when she had gotten radiation poisoning when she had to "clear out" that damn bunker?  
Did it matter? Why did it matter?

Sian cradled her head in her hands, a migraine starting to form as more memories surfaced. The pulsating stabs were enough to drive her near insane. She was so caught up in the pain and the thoughts, she felt detached from everything around her.  
Suddenly, a wad of sticky, smelly liquid dripped onto her shoulder, shaking her from her haze. The girl looked up and stared right into the twisted face of a Yao Guai. Her eyes went wide as saucers as the beast growled at her. Time seemed to stand still, until the large creature launched itself of the overhanging rock. It landed a few feet from her, and by the time it'd turned around, Sian had her new rifle trained on it, pulled the trigger and.. nothing.  
The damn thing wasn't loaded!

The Yao Guai pounced and Sian scrambled away with a shriek. She stumbled to her feet, tugging her .45 out of the holster, the rifle still clenched in her other hand. She was a good shot, but the girl knew her best bet was to run. The bear was faster than expected though and swiped a large paw at her legs, tripping her up. She fell, rolled over immediately and aimed her gun. Three shots hit the Yao Guai, but they weren't from her. Tilting her head back, she saw Joshua running toward her. There was an anger around him that was palpable.

Joshua had run the entire way after Follows-Chalk informed him that Sian had outrun him, fear driving, pushing him forward.  
He'd lost her once, he wouldn't lose her again. A high-pitched scream drew him in the right direction and ignited a fire in him. He mobilized his reserves and sped up, drawing his gun as he ran.  
His heart nearly stopped when he reached the Red Gate, one of Zion's most dangerous creatures hunched over his child. Joshua never made the conscious decision to fire, but still it worked. The beast backed off and he yanked the girl up from the ground, pushing her behind him.  
The Yao Guai was staggering, letting out some pained moans, but he didn't care. His anger had spiked, now it needed an out.  
Joshua emptied his clip, the last three bullets finishing the animal off. It slumped to the ground, and the enraged man heaved in a few large breaths.

"Are you alright?" He span around, once again enveloping the small girl in his arms.  
"Never run off again! I always let you run off, it never ends well..."

Sian didn't pull away again, but looked up with wide eyes. She looked a bit afraid of him.

"Look.. You said you're my dad, but.. I don't know you.. I'm sorry.." Sian felt like the worst person in the world as she watched the bright eyes cloud over. You could not really see much of his face, the burns underneath the bandages making the face somewhat stiff. But she saw the other face, the one from her weird memory, as if it was overlaying.  
Sian wasn't sure of anything. She couldn't trust that flashback being real, maybe her brain just made something up, maybe she just wanted so desperately to be recognized...  
But then she would've imagined it a lot sooner if that were the case, right?  
They stood like that for a while, Joshua downright refusing to let her go, and remained silent.

"I know this a lot to take in. Your doctor informed me of your... accident.." Joshua ground his teeth together. He understood that Sian was sceptical, even as a child, she'd always been suspicious. There had to be a way to get her memories back, get her to really recognize him. And he might have a way to do just that..

"Come with me. I want to show you something."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Arcade, Boone and Syrus were getting anxious. Joshua had stormed out before any of them could process what had happened and now he and Sian were still gone.

"Should we go look for them? She's been gone a while now.." Syrus asked.

"Where would we even look?", Boone bit out, letting his annoyance out on the boy. Sian had run off again, the fucking Malpais Legate claimed to be her fucking father.. It was a too much. Him and the girl had fought over this, and Boone had held on to the hope that she might have been a follower who'd come out from California. But if he were entirely honest to himself, he knew that Sian could not be a Follower, not a chance.. She was far to eager to fight and had this cruel streak that the Followers would not have tolerated.

"We have no idea where she is, we don't know the area."

"So? We just let her get lost out here?"

"No," Arcade had leaned against the cave wall, arms crossed and expression pensive. Now he pushed himself away and decided to jump into the conversation.

"Graham will bring her back. When Follows-Chalk came charging in here, he stormed off with a purpose. I still don't understand the whole situation, but no man would run like that if it weren't important.."

Boone wasn't happy with that answer. Sian was just a kid, a lonely one at that. If she latched on to Graham, the possibility of a family... There was no saying what she could be influenced to do.  
Syrus was thinking along the same lines.  
Graham had been cast out of the Legion, there was no returning. But what he'd heard and seen of the Legate... Like most Legionaries, Syrus knew that Graham had had a lot of power of the Legion and his name still struck fear and respect among the ranks. If the Burned Man came out of his exile, he might sow discord amongst the ranks..

"We don't know what happens.." Arcade basically read the feelings of his companions. They didn't want Sian influenced by someone like Graham. But Arcade had more faith in her. Sian was a child, but a headstrong and intelligent one. He had serious doubts that anyone could influence her to do anything she didn't feel like doing.

"You should give her more credit. This is Sian we're talking about. We know her. She'll do what's right."

Before any more could be said, footsteps drew their attention. Graham marched Sian back into the cave, a hand on her shoulder. He didn't pay much attention to her companions, who followed the pair out of another cave entrance in the back. On the way, Joshua grabbed his bible and outside, sat down at the fire. Sian and the men followed suit, noticing the tribals keeping a respectful distance to the bandaged man.

Graham flipped through the battered pages until he came upon the old photograph. Maybe this would jog Sian's memory, trigger something in her mind. Carefully, he slid it out of the book and handed it to the girl, who took it with equal caution. Arcade, Boone and Syrus crowded around her shoulders, all curious as to what it would reveal.

The photograph was old and faded, slightly yellowed with age. It showed two children, a girl and a boy out in the desert. The girl was simply wearing a blue tunic, no shoes, no adornments, and yet the hot sand didn't seem to bother her, nor did the annoyed look the boy wore. She was focused on a butterfly, while the boy was trying to adjust her grip on a shabby machete.  
Sian's eyes flicked all over the picture, taking in all the details. She saw some similarities between the girl and her own reflection. The thing that got her, was the scar she could see on the girl in the picture. A bite mark on the right calve. Sian had that scar, distorted and stretched, but it was there. Then her eyes flicked over to the boy.  
A messy mob of black hair, dark blue eyes and Legion gear. But Sian smiled, completely against her will.

"This is the only picture I managed to get my hands on. I had it stashed in a safehouse. That was the time when you two were glued together at the hip. Not that I minded. When he started training you, you ran became a lot less wild. You had an outlet for all the energy."

"When was this?" Sian was no longer questioning. This picture, it felt right somehow. She didn't remember it, but there was something at the back of her mind, screaming at her to remember.

"In this picture.. You were almost six, I believe. It was taken eleven years ago."

"What?" Sian looked up at Graham with curiosity. "I thought I was 16."

"No, you turned seventeen recently. About three weeks ago. It was a black day for me.." His voice didn't exactly break, but there was a sadness that made Sian sad as well. He'd said, that he thought she was dead. If she really was his daughter, then her birthday would have been bad. There was still a lot of open questions, and Sian needed answers, but for now, it could wait.  
She looked back at the picture. The face of the other child was familiar, though she couldn't place it.

"Who is he? The boy in the picture?"

"You don't recognize him? Vulpes was your best friend. Saved you from a mongrel when you were three years old and you trailed after him ever since."

Syrus coughed very suddenly, seemingly choking on his own saliva. Boone, seeing an opportunity to let out some of his frustration at seeing his fears realized, roughly pounded his fist between the boy's shoulder blades. When he could finally breathe again, he looked between Sian and Graham slowly.

"Vulpes? Vulpes Inculta? First, you're the Legate's daughter, now you're best buddies with my superior officer..."  
Sian grinned at Syrus, but her thoughts drifted back to Nipton and Novac. That man, with the cold smile and cruel eyes, had been her best friend? She never even realized. And neither had he.. Or he was very good at hiding it.. Focusing back on her friend, she said the first thing that came to mind.

"So, I get to pull rank on you now?"


	21. Chapter 20

The next two days in the Dead Horses' camp were incredibly tense. The tribals had accepted that these outsiders were guests of Joshua, yet they kept their distance for now.  
The girl and the hardened-looking man had gotten into a shouting match with each other, both of them looks of pure fury on their faces.  
Arcade had broken up their fight before it had even become half as bad as the one in Vegas had been.  
Normally, he would've just let them yell it out, but he'd noticed that Graham became angrier with every new shout and accusation.

This however meant that Boone and Sian were still angry at each other. Joshua had asked them all to stay near the camp for now, well, asked Sian, ordered the others. So, not only were they unable to sort out their problems, as neither of them would admit they were in the wrong, but now they couldn't even gain the space they would have needed to calm down.

Sian had quickly found a solution, trudging up the steep hill towards Bighorn Bluff, sitting there all day while petting the calves.  
That's were Syrus came to find her on the third day. He was just as overwhelmed by the situation as she was, pondering why the leader of the Frumentarii had been here in the first place and how to deal with the fact that incarnation of the Legion's bogeyman was within reaching distance.

"So, what are we going to do?"

Sian didn't answer for a while, but rested her head on his shoulder when he sat next to her. Since the mystery of her heritage had been found out, Boone had hardly looked in her direction and the few glances she had caught.. He looked at Sian like she had betrayed him and that hurt. Even Arcade didn't quite seem to know what to say to her. Sure, he pretended that everything was alright, but he'd reveal himself by the way his face twitched. And just like that, Syrus had become her confidante. He was the only one who simply gave her space when she needed it, but sat and listened when she wanted to talk.  
The last two days had worn Sian out, physically and mentally. She felt strained, like glass under pressure.  
Joshua had tried to explain some things to her and usually Sian had been uncharacteristically silent, sitting next to him and taking in all this new information.  
Some of the situations or events he described felt familiar, some not at all. It all made perfect sense, and no sense at all.

 _ **They were sitting around the fire just behind Angel Cave, Sian squished between Syrus and Arcade, her father sitting across the flames. Boone was separated from the group, leaning against the cave wall and trying hard to look like he wasn't listening.**_

 _ **"You were always supposed to become High Priestess. It was decided the day you were born." Joshua was trying to shed some light on Sian's past, hoping she might remember something on her own. He saw the doctor taking in all the information he could, but not commenting. Sian just stared at him, with wide, doe-like eyes. She was unsure of the situation and it scared her. He knew this look very well, she'd often worn it as a small child. Syrus had lost some of his initial fear, and was hesitantly contributing to the conversation.**_

" _ **But the Priestesses just, I dunno, sit in the temple all day. Sian can fight," he said with a grimace, remembering their very first fight. They had both gotten injured, but boy.. Had she packed a punch...  
**_

" _ **Well, yes.. It wasn't planned, believe me," Joshua smiled at Sian, who sat with her chin resting on her knees and never taking her eyes off his face. She seemed to want to ask so many questions and didn't know how to voice them.  
"You liked your dolls well enough when you were young, but something happened and you just stopped paying attention to them."**_

 _ **He trailed off, looking to be deep in thought.**_  
 _ **Was this really the right course of action? She didn't remember him, didn't remember her life. Was he doing her a favour, telling her about it? Or just taking away her chance at a new life? Joshua was blandly staring ahead, gaze turned inwards, when a soft voice caught his attention.**_

 _ **"Joshua?" Sian asked quietly. She wanted to know what had happened to her. What had changed the circumstances and allowed her, a girl, to learn how to fight.**_  
 _ **"Tell me."**_

" _ **You ran off, as usual," He chuckled at that, remembering how hard it had been to keep track of her.  
"The praetorians weren't doing their jobs and somehow you got out of the yard. Somehow you managed to find yourself near the training area and from what I found out, you spied on the recruits and just played back there. You forgot time and after the training session finished, you were still there. A mongrel got away from the pens and found you."**_

 _ **Sian shivered, feeling a weird tingle running up her leg. She couldn't really think, only felt that weird sensation. Next to her, she could almost hear Arcade and Syrus thinking, but neither seemed to want to interrupt.**_  
 _ **Joshua kept silent for a few minutes, seemingly replaying the day in his head.**_

 _ **"It found you. The dogs are trained to attack, and you.. You were on your own, hardly taller than it. The mongrel would've torn you apart, but after it's initial attack, when you screamed, one of the recruits heard you. He had stolen a training machete and snuck back to practice, and he came for you. Managed to kill the damn thing, but you both got hurt in the process. He knew who you were. Had to know. The expensive fabric of your clothes, the pendant you were wearing, bearing my symbol, the Yao Guai. He took you back to the palace, and by then, your attendant had told me you were missing and the guards were looking for you. They found you both and he told us what had happened."**_

 _ **Joshua thought back to the day it all started. The dark-haired boy mumbling to his feet, half-paralyzed with breathless excitement and fear. And how Edward had given him that calculating stare, before it slowly turned into a wolfish grin.**_

" _ **You were alright, and that was important, but Edw- Caesar and myself were impressed with the boy. As a reward for saving you, he earned his name." Arcade flinched, but was ignored.  
"It was an honour unheard of. Every tribal recruit had to survive training and prove himself in battle before he earned his name. We had him perform his battle prowess against a praetorian and he did exceptionally well. Was fast and clever, so from that day onward, he was Vulpes Inculta, the Desert Fox."**_

 ** _Syrus listened with wide eyes. He knew that his officer had gotten his name years before recruits usually did, but here he heard why for the first time. Sian was rubbing her palm over her pant leg, where it lay over the old, twisted scar. She almost remembered this, like seeing an image she could not quite focus on._**  
 ** _Behind them, Boone scoffed, but was ignored just as Arcade had been._**

 ** _"You trailed after him from that day on, whenever you had the chance. To be honest, I think it annoyed him in the beginning, he was five years older than you, after all. But eventually, he started to seek you out, just as you did him. And he started to train you, after you begged him longed enough. You had talent, just as he did, and Edward and I decided to let it continue. You enjoyed it, and it couldn't hurt to have you trained and ready in case it would be useful to the empire. Caesar was nothing, if not a tactician.."_**

That had been three days ago. Joshua had tried to jog Sian's memory, telling her of all sorts of little incidents of her childhood. He enjoyed it more than he would've thought, recalling things he hadn't thought about in years.  
And sometimes, he'd see a flicker of recognition pass through his daughter's eyes. But then she and Boone had fought, and some of the things they had thrown at each other... Joshua hadn't understood everything, but it seemed like a lot of emotion that was unleashing here.  
He got angry anyway, seeing his daughter get yelled at by a man who towered at least a foot above her and weighed about twice as much.  
However, before he had been able to say something, to get this monstrous man away from his little girl, the Followers Doctor had stepped in, snapping at both of them to "cut it out, and not let it go as far as it did in Vegas."

Not very comforting that there was a standard to their fighting. After that, they'd seem to dance around each other like two angry cazadors, constantly poised to strike.  
Joshua tried not to get involved. The emotional side of him, hidden as it was, sided fully with his child. Who she'd been born to be wasn't her fault, after all. But a more rational side understood the Sniper as well. He was NCR through and through from the looks of it, took the revelation of her birth as personal betrayal. The fact that the young Legionary, Syrus, was drifting closer to the girl only sparked his ire even more.  
Sian on the other hand, just seemed hurt. She hid it well, underneath a thick layer of nasty glares and icy anger. He did the same, which is why he saw right through it.  
It was physically painful to watch her like this. On the the evening of the second day, after she'd lain down in Angel Cave to sleep, Joshua had decided to talk to Boone. When he couldn't find him, the Burned Man decided to put it off until the next morning.  
But when the camp awoke at dawn and Joshua ventured outside, Boone was gone.  
Sian had taken that hard, and there was no mistaking it. His bag, his rifles, everything was gone. The girl spent almost the entire day keeping an eye on the river, hoping that he'd come back.  
He didn't. _**  
**_

Now she was sitting on the edge of a cliff, high above Zion, with Syrus' arm wrapped around her and her head on his shoulder. The young Frumentarius had been amazing over the past few days, always listening and understanding. He knew what it meant to grow up in the Legion, the child of an officer and tried tirelessly to explain to the girl that there was no shame, nor fault in being who she was.  
All the while wondering how Vulpes had not recognized her. Sian had voiced her suspicion that he simply pretended not to know who she was, but Syrus had shot that down quickly. He'd bet anything, that the Fox truly had no idea. He just didn't understand how, nothing ever got past his boss.

"Why is Boone so angry then? If there's no shame in it? I know he hates the Legion. He's justified, considering what happened..." She trailed off, and while Syrus was curious, Sian didn't elaborate. It was none of his business after all.

"I never did anything to him. Why does he doubt me now? This doesn't change who I am."

 _But it does.. Sian, this changes everything._ Syrus wanted to tell her just that, but he figured that she did not want to hear it. The behaviour Sian was currently displaying unnerved him, swaying from anger to sadness within minutes. He wasn't sure how to deal with it, and kept silent when her mood got particularly bad.  
Now, however, he couldn't afford to do that. The situation had intensified in a way none of them could have prepared for.

"He's blinded by anger." Syrus said after a moment of thought.  
"He's not angry at you directly, he's angry at anything that's connected to the Legion. He hates us, much like the way Lord Caesar hates the NCR. I'm sure he wouldn't like being compared to Lord Caesar... but the disdain in his voice, that look in his eyes... it's only matched by My Lord himself."

There was another moment of silence, during which Sian pondered on this, wondering how she was supposed to mend it. Boone's feelings were completely understandable, but how long was she supposed to put up with his distance and mistrust? It simply wasn't fair.

"You, yourself, have no bad intentions... regardless of who's side you take." Syrus went on, his voice softening, his green eyes roaming over the landscape. "You're loyal. You're trustworthy. You're worth his companionship more than most... and if he's worth his salt... he'll figure that out. And if not, well... we'll manage."

He gave her a squeeze, and Sian leaned into the comforting gesture, glancing up at him. Syrus was truly a rock in her emotional turmoil. Too much was happening at once, with Boone leaving, finding her father and the war over Zion he had told them about, Arcade was trying to baby her and Syrus was the only one who treated her just the same as a few days ago.

"I'm glad you came with me, you know that?" Syrus looked down at her. She was smiling, but she couldn't have looked any sadder, even if she were crying. Syrus got nervous. He wanted to do something, to make her feel better again but he didn't know how. He never had much contact with woman outside of the slave girls or the women he met because of his work. But Sian was different, was she not? Still, when he looked at her, something in him snapped, and he reacted as he was trained to do. A soft, almost predatory smile, a mumbled "As if I'd ever leave," and he leaned down, pressing his lips onto hers.  
Hers were soft and warm and Syrus felt the girl stiffen in his grasp, but it took only seconds before she relaxed against him.

Sian didn't know what possessed her to reciprocate, the only other man she remembered kissing was Benny, and that memory made her shudder. But this was different, and she liked it.  
Syrus shifted around, pulled the girl closer. Seemed like it was working, and he was enjoying himself as well. Just as he dared to push her a little further...

"Get your hands off my daughter!"

The two shot apart like school children caught doing mischief, Sian flushing a deep crimson without knowing why. Syrus tried to keep his nonchalant expression, but seeing Joshua storm toward him, made the young man contemplate just nosediving off the cliff. Would be a quicker death.  
While Sian was trying to find something, anything, to say to defuse the situation, Joshua had reached them and hoisted Syrus up by the collar of his shirt, fire in his eyes.  
He had come up here to find his daughter, to talk to her about what had transpired that day and maybe find a solution to this mess.  
And find her he did. With a Legionary all over her, taking advantage of his little girl.  
He didn't need to draw his gun, nor make any kind of physical threat. The boy was terrified of him as it was.

"How dare you touch her, boy?" he rasped out, sounding much like he used to when he was Legate. He was furious, not expecting to have to deal with a situation like this.  
Sian scrambled to her feet, suddenly just as angry as he was. There was some confusion on her mind about why Joshua blew up like this, but anger was winning.

"Are you out of your mind? Let go of him! He didn't do anything bad!"

"Sure.. Nothing bad. That's why his hands were all over you," he bit back over his shoulder. Staring back at Syrus, he added, "I'll tell you this once, boy; keep your distance from my daughter, or so help me... you'll experience a hellfire that'd put Caesar's little spark show at the Grand Canyon to shame, you Godless, sleazy little Profligate."

Syrus went deathly pale, yet managed to keep any undignified squirming under wraps. But it wasn't easy. The young man did not doubt for a second that Graham would rip him apart, and he was just about to open his mouth to argue that he hadn't done anything wrong, when Sian's anger exploded once more.

"You don't get to make these decisions for me! I managed just fine before I came here, I don't need a keeper now!"

"Oh yes, you managed just fine! You managed to get shot in the head just wonderfully!"

Sian froze for a second, then did the only sensible thing a seventeen year old would do. She stormed off, not wanting to face the reality of what he just said. Sliding down the steep hill of Bighorn Bluff, she ran out of the camp, keeping to the edge of the river.  
Joshua and Syrus were left standing on the edge of the cliff, the Burned Man's bandaged fingers coiled in the fabric of the younger man's shirt. He wanted to go after Sian, make sure she wouldn't get hurt, but first, he needed to make very clear that the boy had understood him.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Boone had just started down the Southern Passage, the way they'd come into Zion, when he allowed himself to actually think, not just press on.  
Sian was the daughter of the fucking Malpais Legate. Unbelievable! He'd tried, for her sake, he'd really tried to look past it. Two days he'd sat with his companions, listened to how the former Legate told stories of Sian as a child; all of them lies, he was sure of it. There had to be some ulterior motive to this. He wouldn't believe that any Legionary could value, even love, a daughter. Sian knew this as well, they had talked about it many times, yet somehow, she just sat with him, soaking up the stories.  
He could understand the girl a bit, the lure of belonging somewhere had to be great, but he had thought Sian smarter than this. Or that Arcade would be there to talk her out of this, but when he'd mentioned his suspicions Arcade had told him to give it some time.  
He doctor wasn't sure what was going on either, but he was willing to go along with it until he had more information. And that Legion brat.. Now he'd been edging closer and closer to Sian, poisoning her mind just as Graham did.  
Boone had hardly slept that night, lying on his blanket and staring at the stars above him and thinking harder than he'd probably ever done.  
His decision hadn't been easy, but he had to leave. And so, he packed up his few possessions, grabbed his rifles and stared at them for a few minutes. His old hunting rifle, the one he'd modified himself and that had served him well during his time in 1st Recon. He couldn't leave it behind. But the Anti-Material rifle, the one Sian had surprised him with before their trip.. He was walking out on her, after he'd vowed never to do that.. But this was too much, how could he stay when they were pulling her over to a side he wanted to hate with a passion. He should really leave it behind, but he couldn't. Not this gift. And so he shouldered the heavier rifle as well and head out of the Dead Horses camp, quietly as a shadow.

It had taken some time to navigate Zion, the landscape being so very different from the Mojave or California, but eventually the sniper managed to find his way to the caved entrance to the Valley. He stood on the small plateau, overlooking the river and pulled a bottle of scotch from his pack. There was about a third left, and Boone downed it in one go. Empty bottle in hand, he gave this place a last, sweeping look and asked himself if he was making the right decision. Getting out of Novac had been the right thing to do, but without Sian helping him tie up the lose strings, he wouldn't have been able to.  
But she was slipping. He'd seen how much she was talking with Graham and that damned boy. He wouldn't watch that any longer.

Feeling a sudden surge of anger, he flung the empty bottle at a boulder. It exploded with a satisfying amount of noise, shards glittering through the air. He turned and headed into the cave, not really sure where he was going now. Back to Novac was out of the question. Maybe he'd re-enlist with 1st Recon...  
Whatever.. First, Boone wanted to put as much distance as possible between himself and the people he walked out on.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Sian didn't give a damn where she was going. She was angry and sad and feeling too much. How did she manage to feel so much emotion without her head exploding?  
She'd noticed that nobody was following her out of the camp this time, and she took a wrong turn at the river fork, not remembering or simply not caring where she ended up, as long it was far away from her father, from Syrus and Arcade, from having to face the facts. She needed her friends, needed their advice and support. But that meant she'd failed. Ever since they'd pulled her out off that shallow desert grave, she'd gotten constant help, from everyone she'd meet. The settlers were friendly and spared her all the water and clothes and food they could, the NCR had given her all the help they were able to and even the Legion had proved helpful to an extent.  
She would've probably never have made it to Vegas without them. Scratch that, she wouldn't have made it past the raider attack at Novac, had she been alone.  
Now, she realized, whichever way she chose would end up hurting some of her friends. And yet, they all wanted her to make a decision, a distinct one, but she couldn't... There was no definite right and wrong, but they all measured her choices with their own morality.

"This is my choice," she gritted out between panting, still running as fast as she could. Her legs were aching and her lungs burning, but she kept pushing forward.  
"I won't make a choice, I am the damn choice!"

It wasn't long before the girl simply couldn't run anymore. She was winded and slowed down to a walk, heaving in large breaths. Sian was a practised runner, her father having mentioned that as well, but she was thoroughly exhausted and very unsure of where she was.  
There was tables, old barbecues, crappy old trailer... Seemed like she'd stumbled onto an old camp site. The charred skeletons laying around, silent witnesses of the catastrophe that had burned the world over 200 years ago.  
Strange, how Zion seemed untouched by it mostly...  
Sian was trying to figure out where she was, and how to get back to the camp. Not that she planned on going back there anytime soon. She needed to think, needed to figure out if she wanted to stay with her friends and risk having them walk out on her as well.  
Boone... She'd never thought that Boone'd leave her, but just went to show that you couldn't trust anyone.  
The girl stood, all emotions all her senses turned inward, thinking, trying to find a solution to this mess. Her feet started moving of their own volition, and just as she started walking a gunshot echoed through the Valley. The sound startled Sian a lot more than the dull pain in her side, and she flew forward, taking cover behind one of the old trailers.

She crouched low in the dirt, fumbling for her .45 on her hip. The grip was slick with blood..  
 _No time to think about that now,_ her mind practically shouted at the girl, _You have a full clip. 7 bullets. And a knife... Make every bullet count!_

The adrenaline helped to ignore the pain in her waist, and when Sian heard footsteps of many people running towards where she was hiding, she gripped her gun in her left, her blade in the right. They were almost on her, and now she had to prove herself.  
A bit light-headed, but with a loopy grin in her face, the girl straightened out as much as possible and flung herself out from behind her hiding spot.  
If she went out now, and the blood and pain made that seem very likely, she'd go out in a hail of bullets.

The White Legs swarmed into the camping ground like ants and Sian met them with a feral shriek, taking out three with her gun before they came close enough to swing at her. There was one man in the back with a .45 SMG, who took her last four bullets to take out, and paying attention to him, cost Sian the advantage over the brawlers.  
She slashed and hacked away at anyone close enough, but the White Legs were at an advantage, and before long Sian found herself overwhelmed, taking punches to the face and torso.  
They were kicking at her legs, trying to force the girl down, but Sian was fighting. Her own attacks did not do much, physically, she wasn't a fighter, too thin and weak to really damage. She whacked her gun at the tribals, and they laughed and jeered at her attempts at fighting back.

Then, she flipped her blade, reared back, and executed a sideward strike to the nearest tribal's face, knife easily sliding into one cheek and out of the other. But that was the end of her luck. Someone ripped her back, yanking on her long hair and she fell to the ground roughly. Sian tried to scream, but there was a hand on her mouth instantly.  
The wound on her stomach was pulsing as someone sat on it, straddling her and keeping her from thrashing around.

The White Legs chattered amongst themselves, and Sian didn't understand a word. Tears were streaming down her face, from the pain and the fear, and she gave a last futile attempt at kicking the man off her when a mantis gauntlet appeared in her field of vision.  
With a sadistic grin, the man sitting on top of her plunged the sharpened mantis blade into her torso. Sian eyes went wide and she screamed against the hand on her mouth. It felt like the blood in her veins had been replaced with poisonous ice and her whole body was on fire.

While she was focused on her pain, she didn't notice her writhing had shaken loose the small golden pendant she was wearing.  
The White Legs however, did notice. With wide-eyed shock, one of them grabbed the pendant and stared at the relief of the winged man embossed on the face of it.  
He voiced a fearful question, but the man keeping Sian quiet just barked back a harsh answer. His hard eyes showed nothing as he looked down at the girl who was staring ahead unfocused.

Sian saw all the faces above her swimming together, looking like one big blob with too many eyes. She was cold, but the pain was floating away in rushing, sweeping moves. Pulsing.  
Then suddenly, there was chaos, noise and pain when the weight on her stomach was ripped away from her. Sian tried to scream, or speak, or even whisper, but it was like the hand was still pressed over her mouth. Nothing came out and the searing in her torso worsened. But it wasn't so bad..

 _Dying is painful.._ Sian's thoughts were jumbled, hard to follow, _But that's okay.. Boone came back, has to be Boone._

"Sian! Sian, hold on!"

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

It had taken a while for Graham to figure out in which direction his daughter had fled, but he'd sent out the scouts as soon as the _conversation_ with Syrus was over. The boy had followed, flushing bright red and visibly worried.  
Arcade had met the two other in the middle of the camp, and after being informed of what had transpired, hurriedly followed them to the river.  
A rather large group of Dead Horses warriors followed them. Their chief's daughter was out alone, and the White Legs didn't care who they killed.

By the time the group had made it to the river fork, one of the scouts came barrelling towards them at breakneck speed. He informed Joshua that Sian had run into trouble at the North Fork Campground. Without giving any order, the Burned Man turned Northwest and ran, his group following him and Arcade and Syrus falling into step beside him. Neither of the two Outsiders knew just how dangerous the White Legs could be, how ruthless.  
They needed to get to North Fork immediately.  
The bridge came into view in the distance and Joshua veered to the left.  
Even before they could see anyone, they could hear the muffled screams and Joshua burst onto the campground like a demon straight from the deepest fires of hell, the air around him burning with the intensity of his anger.  
When he saw her however, his heart, his body, his entire world stopped. Even with the few dead White Legs, Sian was completely outnumbered. They were all around her, on top of her and there was so much blood.  
The remaining White Legs looked up as Syrus, and surprisingly Arcade, charged at them, bloodlust in the younger man's eyes, overwhelming worry in the other's. The enemies scattered and the Dead Horses warriors sprang into action, Follows-Chalk leading them, war clubs raised and feral screams ripping from their throat.

Syrus had his machete out and smashed into the man with the poisoned gauntlet, ripping him off of Sian. Their momentum carried them a few feet and sent them crashing into the dirt. While chaos erupted, Arcade simply pulled his plasma pistol, and locked eyes with the Tribal still clamping his hand over the girl's mouth. With a cold fury he'd never before experienced, he fired, watching with vindication as the flesh began to melt off the man's face while he slowly tipped backwards.  
Sian had started convulsing and the Follower's Doctor took no more notice of the carnage around him, dropped to his knees next to the girl and tried to access the situation.

He reached out with shaking hands, hear her mumble about Boone, getting louder and calling for him and that's when the doctor snapped out of his panic. Her weak voice reminded him that he needed to be quick. Joshua had explained that White Legs' coated their weapons with Black Datura, so he ripped the pack from his belt and fished around for anti-venom, uncorked the vial and poured the whole tamale into her mouth.  
He pinched her nose and started stroking her throat, helping her swallow the bitter liquid.  
Black Datura was incredibly dangerous and was lethal within minutes. Once the anti-venom was down, he started prepping the girl for a bloodpack.  
Follows-Chalk was circling around them, keeping the White Legs from getting at Arcade's unprotected back.

Meanwhile, Syrus was locked in close combat with his opponent. He avoided the poisoned gauntlet with ease, a cruel laugh on his lips. He was playing with his opponent, not going for the kill yet but his arrogance caused him to not pay attention and suddenly he was fighting three opponents, two men and one woman. It was the woman who gave him trouble, being more agile than he expected.  
That problem solved itself. Out of nowhere, Joshua suddenly stood behind the man who'd stabbed his daughter, and bashed the grip of his .45 into the man's skull.  
The aura around Graham exuded anger, like a man who wanted his debts paid in blood..  
The tribal fell to the ground, but rolled out of the way of another blow and sprang to his feet, snarling like the animal he was. Suited Graham just fine, he wanted the bastard to suffer. He blocked the mantis gauntlet with his gun, balled a fist and planted it straight in the White Leg's face, effectively breaking his nose. During this manoeuvrer, another tribal tried to sneak up on him, but Joshua just raised his gun, bringing the barrel to rest right between his victim's eyes. A cold smile, he squeezed the trigger and the head exploded, blood and brain matter splattering everywhere.

He turned his attention back to the actual target of his anger and kept driving him backwards with well-timed blows.

The two-on-one fight Syrus was having required more attention, but the boy was still laughing. The tribal man made a tactical mistake and Syrus grabbed his shoulder, pulled him close while stabbing his machete just underneath his ribcage. The woman, who's agility was her only real weapon against him, watched with thinly-veiled horror as the tip of the blade pierced through the back of her fellow.  
Blood was pouring from a split in Syrus' eyebrow, the green eyes sparkling amidst the crimson.  
With a charming smile, and never breaking eye contact with the woman, he twisted the machete around in the other man's stomach, then tore it out.  
The woman gave a strangled gasp and ran, but Syrus was faster...

Just as the young Legionary claimed his next victim, Joshua sent his own prey careening to the ground with a last well-placed punch.  
He wasn't grinning, unlike Syrus, Joshua found no real enjoyment in this, only dull satisfaction at being the one to kill his daughter's assailant. With a quick flip of his wrist, his scarred finger now closed around the barrel of his .45, and with a growl, started beating down on the tribal's skull until he became unrecognizable.

Arcade had managed to slip the needle into Sian's arm, Follows-Chalk now holding the blood pack high.  
The remaining Dead Horses had made short work of their enemies, having bludgeoned them to death with their war clubs. Now they were standing around the doctor, giving him space as he tried to stop the bleeding from Sian's stomach wound. It was on her left side, so the spleen wasn't ruptured, but the anti-venom and the extra fluid had thinned her blood considerably.  
This was getting out of hand, they needed to get Sian back to the camp, he needed a suture kit and he needed some strong whiskey for himself...  
Sian was fading in an out of consciousness, mumbling things he didn't understand and switching in between Latin and English constantly. She kept calling Boone and Arcade did his best to calm her.  
The convulsions had stopped, but mainly because the girl had no strength left for anything other than random muscle spasms.  
Joshua and Syrus appeared at their side out of nowhere, both looking scared in their own way.

"Joshua, we need to get back, now. She'll die if I don't stop the bleeding." Arcade was doing his best not too sound hysterical, but it wouldn't take much more.

Sian seemed to focus in Graham,then lost focus again. He knelt down beside his daughter and didn't seem to dare to touch the girl.  
When he'd led Caesar's armies, he'd never felt fear. When his old friend Edward had him lit on fire, the pain was immense,but still, he'd felt no fear.  
Now, he was more terrified than ever before in his life.  
Sian's head lolled around to face him again, pale and drawn with pain. Her eyes were wide, but empty, almost no life left in them. She didn't seem to know where she was.  
She tried to say something a few times, and when he went to shush her, to tell her to save her strength, she croaked out one word that sent his whole world crashing down.

"Daddy..."

With new haste, Joshua picked her up and carried her away, back towards the camp, towards safety. Even through the clothes he was wearing, the girl's body felt cold as ice..


	22. Chapter 21

"Victor!"

"What can ol' Victor do for ya, missy?"

Veronica was splayed all over one of the sofas in the cocktail lounge, Eddie bobbing through the air above her, playing Mojave Music Radio. The Securitron's standard face flickered to Victor's cartoon-y cowboy visage as he rolled up to the scribe.

"A stiff drink, Victor," she said in an affected voice and a flick of her wrist. Since it was only her and the robots, Veronica had found out that Victor had a sense of humour, as did Eddie. The young woman found herself incredibly fascinated by the capabilities of the robots' AI's.

While she had been a bit miffed at finding just a messily scribbled note from Boone tacked to the wall next to Sian's room and hasty audio log that Arcade recorded to the eyebot, she used this opportunity to study the technology that was stashed away in this tower. While Victor fumbled around at the bar, Veronica tapped onto Eddie's controls to replay the log.

 _ **"Hey Vero, just leaving you a quick FYI. The Fort went as well as could be suspected, minor hold-ups... But we have to leave again immediately. I'm not entirely sure of the 'why', but the 'immediately' was stressed a great deal..."**_

 _Arcade sounded a bit stressed, his voice getting louder and then quieter as he wandered around the suite. Sounded like he was stuffing things in his bag, mumbling to himself as he so often did, but it was unintelligible. Boone could be heard stomping around._

 _ **"The hell you doing? You said we have to hurry, stop fiddling with the floating hunk of crap metal and let's go. You shouldn't have left her with that Legion brat in the first place.."**_

 _Eddie gave a series of indignant beeps, twittering furiously at the soldier. He grunted apologetically._

 _ **"Just telling Veronica that we're leaving for Zion. Wouldn't be nice to just have her stand in an empty suite with no clue what happened."**_

 _ **"I left her a note, now let's go!"**_

 _ **"You wrote: 'Leaving. Be back soon, I guess.' That's not a note, that's an atrocity."**_

 _ **"It had the essentials.."**_

 _ **"Yeah, whatever you say, Snipes.. Anyway, Veronica, I'm sorry we can't wait. But I've told Victor that you'll come and go as usual. We'll try to be back as soon as possible, so just hang in there. See you soon."**_

 _ **"Can we go now?"**_

 _ **"Would you shut up already? They'll be fine on their own for a while. They can both handle themselves."**_

 _ **"I'm not worried about Sian, it's the brat I don't trust!"  
**_  
 _ **"Fine, let's go, so you can be all big and scary for the scrawny Legion brat.. Anyway, Vero, we'll try to get back as soon as possible, so just hang tight, okay? We will be back."**_

 _The two men could be heard bickering back and forth, the ding of the elevator, and then silence. Veronica knew it to be a long one, as Arcade had forgotten to stop the eyebot from recording._

"Here's your drink, girlie. Wild West Special with lots of Sarsaparilla."

Victor handed her a high-ball glass with amber liquid that Veronica had come to really like, and she made herself more comfortable, sinking into the plush sofa. It had been three weeks since the log had been made and Vero had found an old world map. Keeping in mind that streets were mostly destroyed, she calculated that her friends should have made it to Zion by now. But there had been no word on how long they were planning on staying in Utah.  
There was nothing to do but sit around and wait. Unfortunately, just sitting around and twiddling her thumbs wasn't really a thing the scribe did very well.  
Veronica downed her drink and stood with a flourish.

"Come on, Eddie. Let's head over to the Followers, maybe the have something for us to do."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Ave, Vulpes. I'd heard you returned. Did not however expect to see you here. Your last auction must have been years ago."

Vulpes didn't comment, simply inclined his head slightly to signify he'd heard the other man. There were only few who spoke to him so casually, and the Fox didn't care for it much.  
He had only come back last night and had wanted to report to Caesar immediately, but was denied access to his Lord's tent. The Praetorians didn't have to say anything. The headaches were back.  
The head of the Frumentarii tried to find his second-in-command that night, but was informed that Alerio and most of his senior agents were out on assignments.  
With nothing to do but wait, Vulpes found himself in need of distraction, something to take the brunt of his inexplicably foul mood. The auction today came in handy.

Vulpes let his icy grey eyes drift over to the pen where the slaves where being kept. They were huddled together, some crying, some just watching the crowd stony-faced. It was true, he hardly ever came to these auctions. The last one had been ten months ago.  
His presence was being noticed by the younger recruits. The older Legionaries knew not to question what he did or did not do, but the younger ones were whispering amongst each other, some blatantly staring in his direction.  
Being the head of the spy division meant that most of the main force didn't see much of him, nor really knew what he did. It helped cancel out his youth, which was unusual for his position. With the usual nonchalance, he simply ignored the growing noise, like the buzzing of Cazadores and made his way over to the auction ring.  
The crowd made room for him and even the slaves were sneaking glances at him now, all of them trying desperately not to catch his eye. For now, he ignored them.  
When they'd be led out one by one there would be enough time to scrutinize them.

"Well then, tell me. How did your latest mission go? A success, I hope?" There was a sarcastic undertone that not went unnoticed to the experienced spy.

"The outcome of my assignment will be discussed with Caesar alone, Aurelio," he ground out snidely.  
"Either way, it is no business of yours."

For the first time, he looked at the Centurion for more than three seconds and immediately noticed the splinted wrist. Out of pure spite, he couldn't stop himself. He kept his voice low. It was enough if Aurelio alone realized that the Fox had something on him.

"What happened to your hand? Got carried away with your disgusting alcohol habit again and bit off more than you can chew?"

That did it. Aurelio flushed a deep scarlet, turned on his heel and left.  
Finally alone and in blessed silence, Vulpes let a contented smirk creep over his face. No one else was particularly inclined to approach him after that, and Vulpes waited patiently for the auction to begin.  
He couldn't be sure to find what he was looking for here, and if he didn't, a trip to a profligate settlement was on the agenda.  
The crowd was slowly growing restless, anxious for the sale to start. The slave master didn't let the crowd hassle him, however. When he finally stepped up, he had his assistants bring up the boys. They were too frail to survive Legion training, but would make adequate servants. They were the smallest group, most of them having been brought back to Flagstaff where they would sell better. They came and went quickly.  
Next came the the older men and women who had not been disposed of, due to some special talent, like being skilled healers or weavers. They were usually very few of these as well, the talent had to be exceptional to be considered important.

The last group was what had the soldiers excited. Young women of childbearing age were by far the largest group salvaged from conquered tribes, new recruits being a close second.  
Vulpes had stood completely motionless during the first two sales rounds, arms crossed and his eyes on the ring, yet not at all focused on what was going on there. He let his thoughts wander, but when the handlers brought out the girls, the Fox started to pay attention again. Girl after girl was brought out and was met by jeers and mocking comments. The handler yelled out all the details of the prospective slaves, their ages, their health, their origin and any particular skills they possessed. Vulpes was standing near the front of the crowd and closely scrutinized them. This was a shy batch, none of them daring to look at the men surrounding them.

Vulpes grew bored quickly. They were all plain, terrified girls. Two of the dark-haired ones were quite pretty, but they were nothing special. He was almost about to leave, when a girl was brought out that he had not noticed before. He listened to the handler list her qualities and looked her up an down appraisingly. She stood straight, but looked at the ground, her blonde hair obscuring her face. The handler grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at the crowd. There was defiance in the dark eyes. Not much left, but a spark was still there.

"Our next slave is a fresh capture, 18 years old, from our territories in south New Mexico. Not entirely broken in yet, but she has a pretty face, a young firm body and is completely healthy. She is capable of more physical work, not fragile as you can see, and she won't break under a more hands-on approach. Starting bid for this one is 10 Aureii"

Many hands rose and the price began to rocket up. This one was special, certainly. She met Vulpes gaze, only for a second, and his decision was made.

"25 Aureii," his voice rose above the noise of the crowd, and he was immediately aware of the glances in his direction. Some men were obviously considering to keep bidding, but he had called a hefty price. That and his reputation were enough to dissuade everyone.  
Vulpes strode forward and tossed a small pouch at the slave master. The handlers brought the girl forward and she looked at him once more.  
His emotionless gaze made her shiver and Vulpes saw her fear. Good. He did not usually look for a challenge in his slaves, knowing they'd provide none anyway.  
His pale hand closed around her upper arm and the man pulled her away. He wasn't overly cruel, having no need to inflict pain just yet, it was more like a master leading his dog away on a leash. The girl kept her head down and dragged her feet as much as she dared, dreading what would come when they reached their destination.

"Don't try my patience, girl," he growled down at her, eyes glittering with malice. He continued dragging the unwilling slave along and shoved her through the flap of his tent. She caught herself on the middle pole before she could fall and spun around, glaring at him.

"Don't make this hard on yourself," despite his dispassionate voice, the Fox found it incredibly hard to keep the nasty smirk off his face. "Just be a good girl and do as I say. Otherwise, I'll have to resort to rather unpleasant means. Unpleasant for you, that is."

The girl kept her eyes on him as he walked over to the dresser with the coyote cowl on top. He turned his back on her, starting to unlatch his chestplate. He felt the slave's eyes on him. Vulpes pulled off the top part of his armour, shoulders tensed, and waiting for her to make her move. When he sensed the slight draft in his back, the Fox sprang into action. He nimbly sidestepped and the woman went crashing into the dresser, but spun around immediately, angry that her surprise attack failed.

Vulpes saw there was still some fight left in her, but he wasn't interested in playing games. The back of his hand connected with the side of the girl's face and sent her crashing to the ground, bleeding from a split lip. It took her a while to get her bearings again, and when she did look up at him, her brown eyes were unfocused.  
Vulpes sighed. He had put more strength into that blow than was strictly necessary, but it had lightened his mood, if only a little. He reached down to pull to her feet, but the girl flinched away from him. The fight was gone, replaced with fear, submissiveness, just where he wanted her. She flinched again, but Vulpes grabbed her arms, and pulled her to her feet. She swayed, but didn't resist when he yanked the feeble slave rags off of her, nor when he pulled her over to his cot and pushed her onto it. She just lay there, looking up with wide eyes, not even trying to hide her naked body from him.

"So, just enough fight left in you to scare off a feeble recruit, or get beaten into submission by most others," He sneered at her.  
"Oh, you have no idea idea how lucky you are that I bought you. Let me demonstrate."

She shivered at his tone, and he could she the shame in her eyes,but the girl couldn't tear her eyes off him. A nasty smirk crept onto his face as Vulpes got rid of his tunic.

"Stop fighting me, and I won't hurt you."

She nodded, and as Vulpes came toward her, unbuckling the belt that kept the studded leather kilt in place, she realized fighting him was useless anyway.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Two days of struggling through the wilderness on his own had left its toll on Boone. He'd been awake for the entire trip, and that was not the problem. Snipers were trained to stay awake for days. No, it was his brain that would not shut up and his conscience eating away at him. He was still convinced that he'd made the right decision. While Boone had gotten used to Syrus, though he still didn't like him, Graham was a whole other thing. The few days they had been forced to spend in each others company, had been pure torture. Whenever he had tried to talk to Sian, she was either with her presumed father or Arcade and Syrus, who threw him nasty glares. As if this whole mess was his fault.

He came upon the riverbed where they'd met with the Cazadors on their way to that wretched canyon. Were he'd also met that strange woman and her pack of domesticated monsters. Maybe he'd try and find her place and ask to stay a night. He'd have to use every opportunity for a safe place he could get.  
He kept pushing forward through the thick brush until he heard the tell-tale growling. Boone knew he was close and just stood still. It didn't take long before he saw a snout poking out from the thick leaves surrounding them. His fingers ached for his rifle, but he restrained himself. Slowly, the creature came out into the small clearing. It was the largest one, William, he recalled.  
The Yao Guai sniffed at him, growled a bit, but then prodded at the man with his wet snout. Boone saw that as an invitation and followed William through the bushes, noticing he was walking on a near invisible path.

It didn't take long for them to reach the clearing with the small cabin, random bears scattered around, lounging in the dying sun, no sign of Marrita however. Boone wasn't sure how to proceed.  
Calling for her seemed weird, alien even. But he didn't have to. William growled loudly, ending in a whine and it quickly lured the woman out of her house.

She halted in the doorway, not having expected to see Boone back so quickly, or at all for that matter. Yet there he was, on his own, looking exhausted.

"Hey, what brings you back to my neck of the woods?" Boone didn't answer, as she expected, but his expression was even more sombre than usual, and that worried her.  
"Is everything alright? Why are you on your own, anyway?"

Again, Boone stayed silent but a dark look passed over his face. So, something had happened. Something crucial, by the look of it. It would take some time coaxing the issue out of him. Marrita closed the distance between them and took one of his calloused hand in her own. He wasn't openly wounded, but she knew that, for a guy like him, it was the inner ones that hurt most. He'd tell her eventually, and she didn't see any need to push him.

"Come on, you need to sleep. You can probably push yourself, but you look like hell."

Boone let himself be led into the house, and when he collapsed onto the bed, he was asleep before his head hit the pillow. Marrita let him be for now, draped a blanket over him and went about her day.  
It would be a few hours before Boone awoke again and darkness had fallen outside.  
He ventured out of the small house and saw Marrita sit outside at the fire, her bears scattered around and snoozing.  
She called him over and passed him a bowl of squirrel stew that she'd kept warm and Boone devoured it without many words. The silence around them wasn't tense, nor uncomfortable, and yet, he felt tense and uncomfortable, twitchy, and he did not like. But being who he was, no words came from him.

"Look...think you could tell me what happened? Not that I'm not happy to see you, but...last time you came through here, your party size was a little bigger."

Boone stared into the flames, and he could feel his anger spike.

"That kid, that _goddamn_ kid! Nothin' but trouble since I met her! A kid does you a favour, you _thank_ her, you don't follow her across the goddamn Mojave!"

"What happened?"

"I found out the truth," he said with a bitter laugh, "Couldn't stay a secret forever. But I shouldn't be surprised, life has a way of throwing everything back at your face. Actually glad I found out so early on. Only two months wasted instead of more... Not like it's a big deal."

"What kind of a secret could be so horrible? Boone, you...spent two months with that kid, risking your lives for each other...it is a big deal."

The sniper thought on that. They had, hadn't they? Every time she slept around him, Sian trusted him to keep her safe. As did he. He trusted her to take point or cover his back and never doubted her ability to do so. But now...

"She.. Sian, she is Legion." He stated with a finality, and when the woman didn't reply, he continued on.  
"Not only Legion, no. She's the daughter of the fucking Malpais Legate! The man who slaughtered NCR Rangers as if it was nothing! He was supposed to be dead! That's a deal-breaker. She's Legion, she's my enemy, that's all there is to it. I don't help Caesar's lapdogs, I kill them."

The statement hung in the harsh silence and Boone was seething. Marrita didn't speak up immediately. She knew who the Legate was, everybody had heard of him and the atrocities he committed. And of how he ultimately failed. The word of his execution had been spread far and wide, but Marrita lived in Zion and she heard the rumours of the Burned Man. That he was still alive didn't surprise her much, nor Boone's opinion on it. But that he'd blame the kid made her angry. They'd told her the whole story when they passed by, how her very life had been taken from her.

"That is not Sian's fault! She's just a kid, 16 years old. She didn't know, you told me that yourself. And even if she did; no one chooses who they're born to be," she was really rounding on him now, and Boone found himself scooting back a bit.  
"And how do you even know? Maybe all of this is made up and you left her with someone who is using the fact that she doesn't know any better? She still needs you, Boone."

"I..." Boone opened his mouth, but a response didn't come out. God damn it, he was certain that he was doing the right thing before, so why was it so hard to defend his actions now?

"I just... didn't think I could trust her anymore. Not if she's with the Legion."  
As the answer escaped him, he found himself cringing.  
No, that wasn't what he wanted to say at all, even though it was true. Perhaps he had left for a trivial reason, and perhaps he'd jumped to conclusions much too quickly. And with Sian in an unfamiliar place, swarming with violent tribes and ex Legionaries... How could he have left her there? Boone drove his fingers into his forehead.

"God dammit..."

Marrita sighed. This had been a spur of the moment decision and he was only just realizing that he might have made a bad mistake. She sat down next to him and laid a hand on his arm. Boone looked up, and his dejected expression softened her own.

"We can still fix this. We'll stay here the night and head back tomorrow morning. We'll fix this."

He nodded, exhausted and confused. Every since he met Sian, he'd been finding many more people who were nice to him for no reason at all. In two months, his entire life had turned around, he even laughed sometimes. Even if Sian wasn't in danger, how in the world was he supposed to fix this?

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"How is she? Has she woken up?"

Arcade gave a non-committal shrug. Joshua sounded calm, but the doctor knew it to be a very, very thin facade. It was the four days since they'd clashed with the White Legs and Joshua was doing badly. Arcade, and even Syrus could tell that he was desperately wanting to lash out at someone. So when he'd sent the boy to the Sorrow's camp to fetch a woman named Waking Cloud, Syrus thought it better not to argue. He didn't know how to handle being in camp at the moment anyway.  
He'd asked Follows-Chalk to guide him there and should be back soon.  
Sian was still alive, but it'd been a close call. They had barely gotten her back in time and Arcade had done what he could to patch her up and stop all the bleeding. But the scaring would be immense, and she still hadn't woken up entirely.

"It was a normal day. She came round a few hours ago, I managed to make her drink some water. Then she rambled on about some mission and passed out again." The Follower's doctor sounded tired. He'd spent the last four days sitting by Sian's cot, pouring water into her mouth whenever she was coherent enough to swallow. The wounds were healing, but her fever was still running in the low hundreds and he couldn't bring it down, no matter what he tried. If the fever didn't break in the next few days, the girl might still not make it. Arcade was at his wit's end. Hopefully the tribal would think of something, because he sure as hell didn't want to be here if Sian truly died.  
Joshua sat down beside the cot, resting his arms on its edge, staring at his child. Arcade watched them solemnly and he felt for Joshua.

 _How horrible he must feel... He only just found his daughter, only just found out that she lived when he was certain that Sian was dead. If she didn't make it, it would destroy the Burned Man. It would destroy Joshua Graham._

"Oh Lord, my God, I called to you for helpand you healed me," Joshua prayed, as he did so often at his daughter's side, but this time, his voice was laced not only with desparation, but with anger.  
"I did not deserve your salvation. I know what I am and what I have done. But my daughter? She's innocent, just a child. Take anything you want, but leave my daughter. Let her live. Please..."

Arcade stood behind them, not daring himself to say anything. The tribals didn't come into the Angel Cave unannounced, and the doctor figured that no one but him had seen the war chief break apart like this. As soon as he finished that thought however, a small cough nearly made him jump.  
Syrus had returned with Follows-Chalk and a young woman, with a shaved head and huge Yao Guai gauntlet on her wrist. No one said anything as Joshua got up and turned to face them.

It made sense that Arcade didn't know what to do, nor did Syrus. For the Frumentarius in particular, it was like watching a fabled God be broken down from the inside out, like observing the destruction of a once powerful entity that everyone in his Legion feared more than death. Joshua didn't show it, of course, but the man was crumbling inside.  
And somehow, to Arcade and Syrus, it was as clear as day.

Follows-Chalk seemed less sure of what was going on in Joshua's head, though he looked equally as awe stricken. Nobody could know what to say or do next as the air filled with a silent tension, all of them waiting for the broken man to do or say something.  
But he didn't. Joshua Graham was a proud man, and even through his pain, he stood tall as always. He emitted a quiet dignity, that seemed instinctual somehow. No, he was too proud to hide the pain, to his his distraught eyes.  
Seeing this, Arcade felt a surge of all new respect flare up for this man, and a new understanding as well. He was still the Malpais Legate, had learned to accept that part of him and let the pride and the strength of his old self infuse the Burned Man, let it fuel the penance he lay upon himself. Now... well, Arcade wasn't sure who stood before him now, but it was someone new entirely. A leader, a man who understood life and loss and who tried to build on the ruins of his old life.

Syrus on the other hand, finally understood all the hushed words around the fires, when the older Legionaries had told the recruits of the true Legate, how he had been a force of nature, the face and heart of the Legion. Caesar had founded the Legion, Graham made them who they were. Right here, right now, the boy would have followed Graham to gates of hell and back.  
Now, if only Sian would wake up... In the Sorrow's camp, Syrus had met Daniel, who had told him what they needed to evacuate Zion and how they needed Joshua. But until Sian was better, he didn't see how anything would be done about the White Legs.

 _I'll wait if Waking Cloud can help Sian, then I'll take Follows-Chalk and we'll do all this crap they need. I can do this just as well.. We can do this. These White Legs, I will personally annihilate them._

Joshua turned to the Sorrow's woman. He recognized her as the midwife Daniel had trained. Maybe she could do something.

"Waking Cloud. Thank you for coming here. Please, help her."

She simply nodded and sank down next to the cot, examining the girl, her wounds and peered into her eyes as she listened to Arcade tell her what exactly happened and what he'd done to treat her as of now.  
The poison of Black Datura was tricky. The outlander did what he could, but they didn't know how to treat Datura poisoning. Daniel hadn't known either.  
Waking Cloud started preparing a tea of sacred Datura root, the poison being the cure at the same time, as it was so often in life. While the tea simmered, Sian started to become more active again. Arcade had noticed that this happened whenever there were more people around. He took it as a good sign, but he found it hard to make sense of her rambling when it happened. Fragmented sentences and flowing between English and Latin constantly. He watched the girl closely, wondering what she was thinking.

 _ **Sian was sitting next to the throne on the cold floor, reading her new book. Trying to read her book, but her eyes kept clouding with tears.  
It had been two weeks since her father's execution, and she still didn't understand it. But she wouldn't cry, she mustn't. Caesar had a good reason, she had to believe that.  
She'd asked him, but he just sent her away, saying she was too young, she'd understand in time. Sian wasn't dumb and she knew that she had to be careful now. So, when he called her name, she immediately dropped her book and faced him.**_

"Sian, I have something you need to do for me. A mission."

Sian just stared at him with wide eyes, and waited for instructions. She'd do anything to make herself useful.

"You remember Tullius, the centurion who was here a while ago?" she nodded, remembering the burly man with distaste. There had been something weird in the way he'd talked to her, like he wanted to slap her every time she spoke. On the other hand, he'd been overly polite. It was hard to explain.  
Sian had already noticed that some of the centurions did that, but she was always accompanied by one of Caesar's Praetorians, so the girl never worried.

"He is coming back tomorrow and I want you to talk to him. You need to find something out."

"He doesn't like me.. I know he doesn't. Why would he talk to me? You can just command him to tell you anything. "

She was speaking! Raspy and choppy, but speaking nevertheless. Joshua and Syrus came closer, looking hopeful. She sounded more coherent than she had in days. Sian was speaking English, but with the odd Latin word slipped in. Her father took her hand, but she hardly reacted and was still burning up.

 _ **Caesar smiled at her, that wolfish grin he always had when she'd been scolded by her father for wreaking havoc in the palace and then the leader of the Legiom would let her off the hook without punishment.  
**_

 _ **"You should know by now that our empire is only imperfect in one sense... the fact that it's run by people. And people, loyal as they can be, can also harbour a lot of thoughts, and doubts, and questionable motives that sometimes conflict with our code. And you should also know that this sort of insubordination... is never tolerated. It needs to be destroyed before it can take root."  
**_

"And Tullius is disloyal? What can I even do? I can't stop him.."

Joshua froze and Arcade and Syrus stared at him, as well as the two tribals. There was a nasty look on his face. He remembered Tullius. A disgusting man.. Edward had suspected him to be plotting a coup for a while. Had he really used _his daughter_ to spy on the man? He had never wanted that! Edward had said Sian'd make a great spy when she was small, because no one would suspect her. That had been the one and only time Joshua had actually threatened Caesar.  
Sian was never supposed to be used that way. She was supposed to be safe. He felt his blood simmer and desperately tried to reign in his anger. Arcade looked upset as well, having a good inkling on what Sian was recalling in her fever dream, but Syrus just looked confused. He couldn't make sense of what she was saying, but he was perceptive. The girl's voice was higher than usual, she sounded.. younger.

"You're not supposed to stop him, Sian. No... that's not what I want you to do. You're a flower, a pretty little girl... someone another person might confide in, if they felt the need to get something off their chest."  
His eyes zeroed in on her in a way that made her shiver a bit, but she couldn't look away. This was important for sure.  
When he continued, his voice was lower, more intense, yet somehow lighter at the same time.

"There is nothing I'd ask of you that would compromise your status, what you stand for, and what our entire Legion stands for, Sian. Everything I want from you is for the good of our empire... for our people. And the centurion in question, well... he's been raising some suspicions. Talk to him. Nothing conspicuous, nothing confrontational, just talk to him like you would any other person. You're a smart girl. You'll know if he slips up with any information that I might need, and you'll know to report back to me at once if that happens, don't you?"

 _ **When she didn't answer immediately, he leaned forward and stroked her dark hair.**_

"What is the Legion's creed?"

"Ave. True to Caesar.. I will do as you say."

 _ **"That's a good girl."**_


	23. Chapter 22

Vulpes spent the next three days in a lazy stupor. He had nothing to do, Lord Caesar was still indisposed and not inclined to see him, or so he was told. And so he trained himself and some of his younger recruits. Both himself and them, he pushed mercilessly. But unlike the boys he was turning into Legion men, the Fox still had something to occupy himself with when he got back to his tent. He never learned the girl's name, nor was he interested in it, and he always chained her to the tent pole when he left her in the morning.

Just because he'd extinguished that spark of rebellion did not mean that he trusted her not to wreak havoc when given the chance.

She did well, he had to admit, despite that initial bout of disobedience; but ever since, she did what she was told, eager to not draw his ire again.

He didn't intend to keep her much longer, however. If she lasted the week, it would be the longest he ever kept a slave. But how she took the brunt of his steadily worsening mood was impressive.

On the morning of the fourth day, Vulpes got up at the crack of dawn, dressed in his armour and went to rouse the boys who would become Frumentarii before the year was out. He was quite satisfied, truth be told, they were promising additions to his force. But they still needed to learn how not to break under pain or duress. And he would make them.  
If there was one thing Vulpes Inculta knew, it was pain. And he was a formidable teacher. He rummaged around his trunk for his whip and quickly found the one he wanted to use. It was three-tailed, would tear at the skin, was only made of leather and wouldn't cause fatal injuries. But it would hurt, and scar; today, these boys would become Legionaries.

Around noon, the boys were showing signs of fatigue and some heavy wear-and-tear. He'd chased them around relentlessly and the Nevada Sun was unforgiving. But Vulpes was starting to feel it himself.  
This was usually Alerio's job, who was a master at inflicting superficial wounds that burned like all hell, but wouldn't actually be dangerous. Vulpes himself usually only used the whip if it was necessary to discipline a soldier for a serious infraction.

"You have to dodge _faster._ Maybe I should send you to the slaves, they _know_ how to do it!" Taunting them seemed to do the trick, the boys were paying more attention, watching the whip carefully. Still, they weren't quick enough, and he managed to lash each of the boys at least once.  
After another hour, with the sun high in the sky, the Fox was drenched in sweat, but far from done. He was just about to bark more insults when a sharp pain in his back made him gasp, then clench his teeth to cut off the meek sound.  
He could feel his back tensing up already and cursed himself for his lack of concentration. There was no way he would be able to swing the whip once the muscles hardened. Still, he'd made it a few hours before feeling the bite of the leather himself.  
He'd need one of the slaves loosen the muscles again, but it was nothing he wasn't used to.

"Recruits!" He barked out and they scrambled to stand before him, postures rigid and faces sweaty, dirty and exhausted, but alert. They were tired and didn't notice how pressed his voice sounded.  
"Not bad for the start. But you have to get faster. Don't let the fear of pain stop you from thinking, from analysing a situation. You need to be quick on your feet, but your mind needs to be equally swift. Take a break, then do your normal training in the afternoon. When Alerio returns he'll continue. And he is more dangerous with the whip than I am."  
He finished with a nasty little smirk.

They left the training area, one or two of the boys limping a bit. He watched them leave. Vulpes was strict with his Frumentarii, and transgressions were punished mercilessly. But he knew just as well that sometimes it didn't hurt to praise his men, especially the recruits.

Vulpes stretched and made his way over to the kitchen area. Siri would take care of it.

"Ave, Vulpes Inculta. Lord Caesar sent for you," seeing that the Frumentarius didn't look all too excited, he added, "Our Lord wants to see you immediately."

The Fox bit back an annoyed sigh. For four days he'd been waiting to speak with Lord Caesar and now, of all times, he was summoned?

 _It's official, the Universe hates me... He's always in a foul mood after his headaches..._

When they reached the tent, the Praetorian held open the flap, but did not enter after. Vulpes walked up to the throne Caesar was slumped in, and stole a glance at Lucius, who was standing beside his Lord as usual. The sympathetic look did not bode well for him.

He sank onto one knee, fist pressed to his breastplate, and lowered his gaze to the ground.

"My Lord. How may I serve?"

He had to wait, motionless, for quite some time. Caesar was watching him, the younger man could feel his stare. Two could play this game; The leader of the Legion had done this to him so often, he could have sat like this for hours.  
But today, after only a few minutes, his back started to ache. He needed to move, but there was no way in hell he would give in.

"Start by explaining where your men are. You seem to have lost them along the way," he didn't tell his Frumentarius to rise, nor did he really want to. Vulpes was too prideful for his own good. He needed to knock the boy down a few notches.

"They didn't catch up. I waited for them for two days, but my orders were to meet with the Whi-"

"Silence! I know your orders, I gave them!" Caesar's voice was hard, laced with steel. He didn't stand, didn't even straighten out, but he didn't have to. His Lord had the voice of a commander, and it cut like glass. Vulpes didn't flinch, he was used to the tone, but he knew it meant to be cautious. The headaches made him irrational.  
"Tell me that.. He. Is. Dead."

"I.. I can't.. Maybe they made it. They were two-on-one. But I don't know." He said through gritted teeth. It hadn't been his job. And if it had been... Vulpes was not sure how he could have done it. And he thanked Mars that it hadn't been his task. Caesar got out of his throne, slower than he usually would and started pacing. Lucius watched them with a furrowed brow.

"I sent you along, so the job would finally get done! What does that say, hmm? The head of my spy division, my best Frumentarius, the deadly shadow in the fucking night, and Graham is still _breathing!_ "

This time Vulpes did flinch, albeit ever so slightly. He was boiling inside, and a muscle in his cheek started twitching. He got the childish notion to talk back but squashed it immediately. It would help no one at this point.

 _I should have stayed. Made sure they got the job done. Lucanus and Crassus are idiots, I knew that... I should have just done it myself, somehow._

"Then again, this is not the first time you have failed me, isn't that true, Vulpes? How many men have you sent to do your job? How many Legionaries, who could been of use for our cause in the Mojave, have been slaughtered for something you were supposed to do?"

The Fox hit his boiling point in an instant and shot upright. He took great responsibility for his men and every one lost was a personal failure. He never sent them to their deaths lightly, he only followed orders.

"Graham was superior to all of them. You cannot expect any of them to match the Malpais Legate, _my lord._ "

The very moment the words escaped him, Vulpes knew he overstepped the line by a mile. He locked eyes with the Praetorian behind the throne and saw the look of pure shock on the older man's face. No one had spoken to Caesar like this, ever. For a good 10 seconds, no one moved.  
Then Caesar raised a massive fist, and Vulpes went crashing to the floor, an audible crack ringing through the tent.  
It had been a long time since someone laid a hand on him outside of combat and he couldn't even defend himself. There was no way he could raise a hand against his Lord. Again, Vulpes sat on one knee, steadying himself with a hand to the ground.

"Forgive me, imperator, I spoke out of turn."

"Mhm," Caesar gave a non-committal noise, seemingly placated a bit. There'd be no more violent outbursts, but he wasn't quite done with putting his officer in his place.  
Vulpes Inculta was a valuable asset to the Legion. Otherwise, this infraction would have cost him his tongue, at the least. But he'd been too lenient lately.  
Now, he started pacing again, circling around the young man kneeling in the tent.

"No, this isn't the first time, is it? You failed now, in killing the traitor who continues to slaughter your men. And you failed then, failed to retrieve her. I forgave you then, why should I forgive you now?"

Vulpes kept quiet, knowing he wasn't meant to answer and stared blandly ahead, not seeing anything.  
Why did he have to bring up _her_? He wanted to say something, that he'd searched for months, searched every cave and crevice of this thrice-damned desert. But he didn't. Because she was gone, and it wasn't worth getting executed over someone who was dead. It wasn't worth losing all he was.

"How did you fail, anyway? How did you not find her? How did a little girl outsmart you?" Caesar asked, his sneer growing ever wider. He saw how the young Fox restrained himself, saw the muscles in his shoulders and jaw twitching. He'd completed one circle and came to stand in front of the kneeling man, leaning in just a little bit. With the same lofty, sneering tone, he continued.

"Hmm? How did you let her run away, Vulpes Inculta of Utah?"

"We were trained by the same man," he ground out. The taunts tore at him, made him want to lash out. But at the same time, he felt hollow.

"She knows all my tricks and she had a head start. I searched the entire desert. She is dead."

Caesar watched him for a long time, but Vulpes didn't bother to meet the stare. He was distracted, his gaze turned inwards. His Lord had torn open old wounds, and now he was angry. There was something else underneath the anger, but he wasn't particularly interested in exploring it. For now, he just waited.

After a few minutes, that might have well been a few years, Caesar sighed and let himself fall back into his throne. This was fun while it lasted, but now that he'd gotten a rise out of him, it wouldn't happen again.

"Wash the blood from your face and get a discrete slave to set your nose. The recruits and slaves shouldn't see you like this. You are dismissed."

Vulpes got up quickly, and walked over to a water bowl standing on a table. He washed his face, gingerly touching his nose.

 _Fantastic... If anyone comments on the black eye, I'll crucify them._

There was a scowl on his face, thinking about the stares and whispers that awaited him once the bruises would start showing. He didn't bruise easily, but when he did, they lasted..

Stepping into the middle of the tent, he faced his master once more and bowed at his lazy wink, then left. Vulpes did not look at anyone as he stormed back to his tent, did not want to see anyone. Logic told him that he should find someone to fix his face, his back, but he didn't listen.  
He stormed through the thin flap of fabric and immediately caught sight of the girl chained to the pole. He unshackled her and pushed her towards the exit.

"Go to the kitchens, make yourself useful. Don't come back until I send for you. Don't make any trouble, or I swear by Mars, you won't live to regret it."

His voice was low, raw, and she only nodded. She was afraid of him, and she was smart to be. The anger that rolled off of him was scorching. Once she'd fled his presence, Vulpes dropped onto his cot rested his face in his hands, trying not to touch his nose.  
Almost three years ago, he didn't have his own tent, nor a broken nose, but he'd been just as angry.

He'd just made it back from a scouting assignment, one of his first, and while it had been nothing special, there had been no bad news to report.  
The other two who'd been with kept asking why he was so distracted, but even if he wanted to, he wouldn't have been able to tell them.  
Vulpes had been racking his brain the entire time, trying to get his old friend out of her predicament. They'd been distant, but Sian didn't deserve _that_.  
But short of dishonouring her, he didn't have any real option. Even that wasn't a viable solution, seeing how it would cost him some valued body parts. He was almost desperate enough to go through with it though.  
Turns out he didn't need to.

 _Sian found another way,_ he thought, still bitter about it, _just vanished without a word. And then fell off the face of the earth. She can fight, yes, but she left alone. No way in hell she made it, or I would've found her. She's been either killed or captured.  
Dammit, I hope she's been killed..._

The young man let out a frustrated groan, rubbing his hands over his face. Suddenly, he perked up, hearing slight footsteps.  
His tent flap opened, and a dark-skinned woman stepped through.

"What do you want, Siri? I'm in no mood."

"Lucius sent me," she replied, not fazed in the slightest by his harsh voice. She was one of the few slaves who was never scared of him and while it had irritated him to no end, now he appreciated it.  
"He told me your nose needed setting. And he told me to tell you that you can't fool him, your back's giving you trouble."

"Old fart.." Vulpes grumbled.  
"Well, come on then. You get to torture me. Doesn't that make you a bit happy at least?"

Siri just smiled.

"More than you'll ever know."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Day broke in Zion and Joshua was sitting at the river's edge with Syrus. The boy had just recapped his trip to the Narrows, where the Sorrows tribe lived, and told him that Daniel, the Utah missionary living there, had requested Joshua's help. They needed to prepare the evacuation of the tribals, and though Syrus didn't approve, he passed the message on.

"What are you going to do about it?" Syrus asked. In the past 4 days he'd spoken to Joshua much more casually, had asked questions whenever the older man wasn't preoccupied and had been somewhat pleasantly surprised that Joshua usually answered with great patience.

"You.. you can't really plan to let the White Legs run you out of Zion?"

"Shouldn't that please you?" Joshua asked, turning his head to watch the boy.  
"You're a Legionary. Caesar tasked the White Legs to destroy me, and in return, the Legion will swallow them. If I fight, they, and by association the Legion, failed."

"I.. It should. It does."

"For a Frumentarius, you're a lousy liar boy," Joshua griped.

"I'm a great liar when it's important."

"And this isn't? Do you even know where you allegiance lies, boy?" Joshua's voice had the steel edge again and the electric blue eyes bored into Syrus'.  
"You better figure that out soon. Because if you are _true to Caesar_ you are a danger to my may have forgotten who she is, but I know her. She was raised in the Legion, as were you, but I've taught my daughter to think! To question! She won't follow a man who wants to burn the world, murder her friends."

Joshua pulled at his bandages a bit, shifting them and exposing the scarred flesh beneath. There was a wild expression in his eyes.

"So you better choose whose side you're on, boy. Because if he can do this to someone he once called brother, what do you think he will do to his enemies?"

Syrus was oddly fascinated with the scarred face; repulsed, worried, fascinated. He wasn't sure how long he stared at Joshua. But he came back to reality with a start and a surge of anger.

"It's easy for you to say, the choice was made for you! I can't leave, I'll be hunted. And Lord Caesar _swore_ no harm would come to Sian as long as she continued to serve the Legion. He told me so before we left."

"Mhm, he also swore to never put Sian in danger. And yet he did." Joshua was calm again. Syrus was just a boy , a few months older than his daughter, and he was afraid.  
And he should be. In a way, the boy was right. The minute Sian had been born, the choice had been made for him. Joshua knew that was not what Syrus had meant, but it was the truth. And calling him out on that would not help.  
"I can't decide. You want to be a man who chooses, not a boy who follows? Then be faced with a man's choices."

Syrus didn't answer. He let his gaze drift over the water. He liked Sian, he really did. Travelling together, it made you realize things about one another. And talking to Arcade every night of their journey had made him see more than he had before. Even though he didn't want to.  
Was this how Sian felt? With House and Caesar both wanting her to work for them? It never occurred to him that she had to choose as well.  
He'd have to think about it, but for now... He'd been told to keep Sian safe. She couldn't travel now and if the White Legs overran Zion, she _would_ _be_ in danger.  
Eliminating the threat was the only logical option, was it not?

"What do you need? To fight the White Legs, I mean?" He saw the bandages on Joshua's face shift out of the corner of his eyes, and fought hard to not react.  
"Maybe you're right and I have to choose. But now is now, and now, I chose to fight."

"We need the Sorrows. They aren't warriors, not like the Dead Horses are, but we need more fighters. At this time, our enemies outnumber us. I won't force anyone, but I can't believe that the Sorrows really want to leave Zion. Look around you, who would? Clean water, plants.. Granted, some of them try to kill you, but they're plants. Not very fast, see."

"Did you just try to make a joke?"

"Shut up, boy." Joshua grumbled, while Syrus fell flat on his back and erupted into boyish laughter. **  
**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Boone and Marrita were wading through the river with the giant bears following behind them. Boone was sure he'd seen some scouts along the way, but no one had revealed themselves.  
The sniper was nervous, a sensation he hadn't felt in years, and every step towards the camp got harder, but he pushed onward. He had to make this right. And with Marrita walking behind him, he couldn't exactly run off anyway.

It didn't take long until he saw the traps in the water, and the two travellers had a hard time of steering the Yao Guais around them. William, especially, seemed to not want to understand that a _bear trap_ would _hurt._ But it worked like a charm to keep his mind off of what was about to happen.  
They passed the last river bend and Boone saw Graham immediately. He was standing with the warriors, watching them sparr, correcting their stances ever so often.

 _Was this what it looked like? In the Legion? Like my sergeant.. Holy hell, I hated that guy..._

"Boone? You there?" Marrita tugged on his arm to get his attention.  
"Come on, it won't be so bad. You came back, after all."

He did, didn't he? That had to count for something?  
Seemed like all he needed was some encouragement, and Boone strode forward. He was noticed very quickly, and the tribals raised their weapons at the sight of the mutated bears.  
Joshua simply held up a hand to stop them.  
Even over the distance, he and the sniper locked eyes.

 _To hell with it,_ Boone thought grimly, _maybe he did change. Maybe he didn't. Damned if I know, but I can deal with it, if I'm right. But I'm not leaving the kid here as long as I'm not sure. No matter who or what she is. I followed her then, no reason to stop now._

"Tell me where Sian is. That's all I'm here for." Boone called out. There was a pause.

"She ran away when you left. And was ambushed." Joshua stated darkly.  
"You may speak to her when she's conscious again."

"Ambushed..." Boone felt like he got punched in the gut. This was not what he expected to hear.

"Is she alright?" With no immediate hostility, Marrita was more interested in the girl that had passed through her place. The only people doing ambushing around here were White Legs, but they kept away from her property.  
"What happened?"

"White Legs." Joshua looked down at the new woman, a spark of interest in his eyes. But it could wait.  
"She's been unconscious for days, but Gannon says she's recovering slowly. It's the poison those cowardly dogs use."

"But she'll be alright?" It was all Boone's brain registered at the moment, his mistrust and anger forgotten for the moment.

"Eventually. The injuries are severe. But she's strong and your Doctor and the Sorrow's healer are doing what they can. We've got more pressing matters now. The White Legs, the tribe now ruled by Caesar's Legion. They're coming. Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle. They're coming for our home, and I cannot allow that. They will kill every last man, woman and child they can find. Sian can't travel now and if they overrun us, they'll finish the job."

Graham took a step closer and there was urgency in his gravelly voice.

"I know, I'm the last person you want to help. But the tribes here, they deserve peace for once. We need someone like you, someone who's seen real combat. Who can help _them_ save their home. Help us."

Boone and the Burned Man stared at each other for what felt like aeons. Boone wanted to refuse, just to refuse the Malpais Legate. But then he looked over to the Dead Horse warriors. Some of them were younger than he had been when he enlisted. The older ones looked determined, but the boys were afraid. He'd been terrified before his first battle...

"Help them." He looked down to see Marrita smiling up at him.  
"The White Legs don't only kill, but they destroy the land, salt the earth so nothing will grow. Drive them out of Zion. I'll stay here and look after the kid, William will stay with us. Take the rest of the Yao Guai and end this." _  
_  
"Fine," Boone wouldn't have refused either way. Not with innocent lives at stake.  
"I'm not doing this for you, I'm doing this for them. To wipe out allies of the Legion."  
"Very well. Thank you."

"Where's the boy?"

"Syrus? He and Follows-Chalk have gone to the Narrows to see if they can rally some of the Sorrows warriors to help us." Graham looked at the sniper for a moment, his gaze calculating.  
"She's been calling for you. Sian. She's unconscious, dreaming, hallucinating, I don't know. But she cares for you a lot and she was devastated when you left. Go see her."

Boone nodded once and towards Angel Cave. Marrita quickly told her pet monsters to behave, reassuring Graham that they wouldn't do anything unless provoked and followed Boone.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Inside Angel Cave, Arcade was sitting beside the cot with Waking Cloud. Sian's fever hadn't quite broken yet, but she wasn't as restless as in the last couple of days, and no longer pale as death. Aurelio and Rex were rolled up beside the cot and refused to leave. The ever-growing nightstalker constantly tried to climb up and drape himself over his mistress. It was unthinkable with the stomach wound though and Arcade and Waking Cloud had to constantly watch the sneaky animal. Rex just whined and licked her hand at times.  
She'd been more active as well, speaking more and even had woken up a few times, but never for long and always confused.

They had heard some more titbits about her later years in the Legion, which had upset them all to varying degrees, and sometimes she remembered stories from her childhood.  
As unsettling as Arcade still found her Legion heritage, every time she started mumbling he hoped for a childhood anecdote rather than anything that happened later.

Today he was not so lucky.

The doctor and Waking Cloud were wrapping damp cloth around the girls legs to draw the fever out, when Arcade noticed the frown etched into her face. He was glad Joshua was still outside, though he wasn't keen on listening himself.

Sian was stirring, but didn't seem like waking up anytime soon and her frown deepened.

 _ **Caesar had summoned her to his tent in the early evening, his slave saying that he wanted to discuss an important matter with her.  
She couldn't think what it was, but she was apprehensive the entire day. She'd caught him looking at her with a weird expression a few times and she didn't like it.  
Her Lord was planning something and that she didn't know what it was had her on edge.**_

 _ **But it wasn't like she had much of a choice in this matter. In the late afternoon her slaves helped her get dressed and ready.**_  
 _ **When she'd still lived in Flagstaff, Caesar and her father had let her run around in normal tunics, never commenting on it even, but ever since Caesar had dragged her to the Mojave after her father's execution, he'd insisted that she wear more ornate clothing, befitting her status.**_  
 _ **She didn't mind the dresses, liked them actually, but going through that every day was tiresome.**_  
 _ **Also, it made her stand out, a lot. Every time she left her tent, the soft colours she wore shone against the Legion's crimson and black. Eyes followed her wherever she went.**_  
 _ **She was glad one of the Praetorians came for her to escort her to their leader and she hated herself for it.  
**_ _ **Inside Caesar's tent, the throne was vacant. He was sitting at the long table off to the side and after a gesture on his part, Sian joined him.  
**_ _ **A slave brought her a glass of watered down agave nectar and she thanked him. She did so every time, but the slaves all threw her adoring looks when she did.  
**_ _ **After setting down a bowl of candied barrel cactus fruits and some sweetrolls, the slave retreated, leaving the girl alone with Caesar and Lucius.  
**_ _ **Sian picked at the sugared fruits and waited for Caesar to break the silence. He watched her, his chin resting on his interlocked fingers and Sian did her best not to fidget. It took a few minutes, but finally, he spoke.**_

 _ **"Sian, my dear, I have been thinking.. Your 15** **th** **birthday was last week. You're an adult now. Some things need to change."**_

 _"What needs to change?"_ _ **she inquired with wide eyes. Her voice was oddly pressed. Sian didn't like change. The routine of the last three years had given her much needed stability.**_

Arcade cocked his head at her, hearing her peculiar muttering and noticing her slight expression change. "Sian, Honey, are you alright…?"

He placed a hand on her head, her skin still hot to the touch. He knew she wasn't able to hear him, but he wanted to try nonetheless. Whatever was going on in her head kept her thoroughly absent from the real world, and despite having a subtle dread brewing in the pit of his stomach, Arcade listened intently, wanting to know more, even if he ended up hearing something he'd wished he hadn't.

 _ **"You've been very useful, and have helped eliminate many threats to the Legion. But this can't go on. It is time you gave your due to the Legion like other women. I've been considering the options and I have chosen a suitable husband. Before the year is out, you'll be married and give my Legion new soldiers."**_

 _ **Sian was horrified. She didn't want this! She knew it would happen eventually but she still didn't want this. What bothered her most was that it was decided over her head. Whoever had been chosen, she would have no chance to refuse and that scared her. But Caesar had always been good to her, taken care of her even after her father had failed him. Surely he had chosen well. Maybe she would even like the choice, or learn to like it. Hopefully. It took a moment to find her voice and when she finally did, it sounded more timid than she liked.**_

 _"Who.. Please, my Lord, whom do I have to marry?"_

Arcade squinted at her. _Whom did she have to marry? Did the Legion plan to pawn her off on someone without any choice in the matter? Typical of them. God, they're sickening._

 _ **He chuckled at her tone, a dark sound. He motioned for her to come closer and she knelt next to him, like she'd done countless times before.  
She still trusted Lord Caesar to make the right decisions for her.**_

 _ **"Sian. You are the**_ **Legate's** _ **daughter," she did notice how he ground the word out, "And even though you have neglected it a bit, you are still to become High Priestess. It's one of the reasons you were brought to Nevada in the first place."**_

 _ **That was true. She knew how much the soldiers drew from their beliefs. Whenever she was ordered to perform a sacrificial rite to appease the God of War, there seemed to be a new surge of energy in the Legionaries. She took pride in what she did, no question, but it simply wasn't her.**_  
 _ **Sian loved the missions Caesar gave her, the training she had with Tacitus that no one knew about. She was a good fighter and by now, and excellent spy. It was who she was.**_

 _ **"No, for you, there are only few choices. Only a few men in my Legion who could claim you as prize. You will be wed to Lanius. I think it only fitting that the daughter of the old Legate goes to the new one."**_

 _ **Sian was too shocked for words. She had hoped for another name, any other name, but not for the man who had taken her father's place, had dirtied everything he stood for.**_

" _Lanius? The Butcher? My Lord, please, I-"_

 _ **"Silence. It has been decided. You will learn to live with him."**_

Arcade might've looked awestricken if his face wasn't riddled with concern, his stomach giving an uncomfortable lurch. Lanius, the butcher, the monster of the east? They planned to just give Sian to him?

 _Now I understand,_ Arcade thought as he gently stroked a few of her loose bangs away from her sweat coated face. _No wonder you ran away. Being a Legion slave is bad enough, but being forced to marry a monster? I can scarcely imagine a hell like that…_

Sian was tossing around on the makeshift cot, a worried expression on her face. It looked like she was seconds from waking but in reality, she was still deep in the clutches of her dream.

 _ **She was standing beside Caesar's throne, dressed in the crimson and gold tunic of the high priestess, and waited. Outwardly, she was calm, her posture a bit rigid, but perfect, as was expected of her. On the inside, her thoughts were spiralling, tumbling.  
It had been a few weeks since she had been informed of her betrothal and Caesar had told her Lanius was arriving at the Fort and that she was expected to meet him.  
Sian had seen him a few times before, but always kept her distance, not interested in meeting a man who, to her, was an usurper. Now, she was nervous.  
Many unsettling rumours about the Butcher had reached her ears over the last few months and she remembered them all.**_

 _ **Her head shot up when she heard the heavy steps outside the tent and glanced down at Caesar. He was smirking at her, clearly interested in how his charge would handle the meeting.**_  
 _ **The tent flap was pulled back and a massive figure stepped through the entrance. He was in full armour and wore the massive golden mask, which always unnerved her so much.**_

 _ **"Lanius. I've heard you have conquered another tribe. That makes it 82. Impressive work as always." Caesar beckoned the girl behind him to come forward with a short gesture.**_

 _ **"Sian, come here. Greet our guest. Lanius, may I present your bride."**_

 _ **Sian stepped forward, her chin jutting out, not willing to show any deference. She was more afraid than ever before, but if she showed it, she lost. She did not even incline her head before addressing the Butcher.**_

 _"Legate. Congratulations on your achievement. I'm sure they will make fine additions to the force."_ _ **Her voice was cold and unfriendly and Sian felt the disapproving glance in the back of her skull. She didn't correct herself. She was the daughter of the true Legate and bowed to no one but Caesar himself.**_

 _ **"Hrrmph," she couldn't read his face, nor the inflection of his voice. That mask made it sound hollow.**_  
 _ **"They told me you were a scrawny little brat. They were mistaken, you will do just fine. Prettier than my slaves, at least."**_

 _"I see why they call you 'The Butcher'."_ _ **She was angry and there was a definite, arrogant bite in her voice. No one spoke to her like that, especially not some hopped up tribal.**_

 _"I haven't been this charmed since Otho's dog threw up in front of me."_

Hearing the disdainful comments escape her, Arcade let slip a chuckle. He was still worried, of course, but if he was hearing correctly, Sian had put forth a respectable layer of condescension. He might've done the same in that position.

 _ **Lanius didn't respond. Sian didn't even see it coming and the back of his hand connected with her face, knocking her to the ground.  
She felt the warm blood on her face and pain radiating from her cheekbone.  
The pain didn't even bother her that much. She fought on a regular basis and was used to it, it was the entire action. The girl stared up at the man towering over her, not exactly knowing what to do.  
Even her own father had only slapped her once, when she was still rather young. **_

At that, Arcade's amused smirk faded as quickly as it had come. A muffled, pained moan escaped from her, and she jerked her head to the side, wincing and grinding her teeth together. Waking Cloud blinked, but Arcade merely grimaced, his eyes stuck on her. It looked as though some invisible hand had slapped her in her sleep. Her dream must have been venturing into an unsavoury place.

 _"How_ dare _you lay a hand on me?"_ _ **Her voice had a high pitch, and sounded pressed.  
**_ _"My Lord, please, this is unac-"_

 _ **When she turned her head, she saw Caesar smiling. The words got stuck in her throat, her eyes widening.**_

 _ **"I've been far too lenient with you, Sian. You know your place, you know what is expected of you. If your husbands decides to.. correct you, he will do so. It's not your right to challenge that." Caesar rose out of his throne and came towards her, looking down into those scared, young eyes.**_  
 _ **"I have been given these rules by Mars, and you will follow them."**_

 _ **Sian let her head drop forward, her hair obscuring her face. The girl's cheek had split open and burned, and tears stung in her eyes. Her voice was spiritless, a bit choked.**_

 _"Ave. True to Caesar."_

Her rambling gave him only very loose bits to be strung together, but he wasn't missing any of the story. If anyone could piece the dream together, he could.

It sounded like a confrontation took place, something Sian quite rightfully didn't want to go along with, but she'd been forced to. Caesar's Legion wasn't a negotiable faction by anyone's standards. Anyone who'd speak out of term, any slave that would show any hint of a backbone, was stomped on immediately with extreme prejudice.

It was all Sian knew, and he understood that. He even once said that he could hardly blame the men of the Legion for their actions, only because they were so heavily and thoroughly brainwashed. What chance did a child born into the tribe have? None of it meant that she still believed in the Legion nowadays. If that was the case, she wouldn't have run away.  
All things aside, Sian was only a child, a very tough child with an innocent spark who simply had no control over her upbringing. That's all there was to it.

 _ **It was dark, the middle of the night and except for the patrolling guards around the Fort, everything was silent. Lanius had finally left, after staying over a week.  
A miserable week, in which she only left her tent when she was summoned by Caesar. Those dinners she was forced to attend were tense, and Sian was terrified of saying or doing something wrong. She didn't even try to think she could fight back against the Monster of the East. Sian was experiencing what real fear felt like; she thought she knew, but now she realized that she'd never been in real danger. Well, she had been in danger, a few times, but now Caesar wasn't protecting her any longer. She finally understood that the only thing that had kept her safe, was his word.  
Now that it was gone, the girl was quieter than ever and sought seclusion. Every time she was forced to leave the security of her tent, Sian held her head high, ignoring the men around her. She didn't see that the concerned or outright enraged stares far outweighed the few spiteful smiles she encountered.  
Most of the Legionaries were incensed at the bruises on the face of their High Priestess but no one dared to speak out. But the men muttered at the fires at night, and so did the slaves, to whom the girl usually was kind.  
Sian did not hear, nor did she see it, until her slave Sancia told her so. But it didn't matter. In a few weeks from now, nothing would matter any more. She would be Lanuis' **_**property,** _ **nothing more. The past week had shown her what that would be like. The man had an uncanny talent for making her angry, making her burst out with insults and she always felt his wrath immediately. She was sitting in her dark tent, hands closed around a parchment. Tonight. It would be tonight or it would be never. Sancia had stolen a recruit's tunic for her and helped her get dressed and hide the long hair under a hood. Sian had sent her away after that. The further away Sancia was when she disappeared, the better chances she had at surviving this.**_

 _ **When the guards passed her tent again, Sian got up and snuck through the dark Fort. Instead of heading for the drawbridge, she stuck to the palisades and came upon a section of splintered wood, that had yet to be repaired.  
She was small and fit through the gap easily. The girl had to hide in the shadows, and darted through the open spaces with bated breath.  
She couldn't leave the Fort just yet, she needed to make one stop.**_

 _ **The tent Sian was looking for was standing deserted at the outer barricades and she slipped inside, seconds before some guards turned the corner. The inside was dark, and the too small, too thin 'Legionary' waited until her eyes adjusted to the absence of light. There were four cots here, and she immediately found the one belonging to her friend. There was a whip laying on it that Sian had braided for him. It had taken forever, and she'd wanted to throw it away many times, but it looked in good shape.**_  
 _ **She sat on the cot and ran her fingers around the edges of the sealed envelope. What she was about to do was the hardest decision of her life.**_

 _ **The things they had told her about the profligates that roamed the desert scared Sian, but it couldn't be worse than what waited for her if she stayed.**_  
 _ **With a sad smile, she slipped the parchment underneath the sorry excuse for a pillow the Legionaries had to live with.**_  
 _ **She knew Vulpes hated it, she'd have given him one of hers, but it was unthinkable.**_  
 _ **He wouldn't take it anyway. It had taken a week for him to accept the goddamn whip!**_

 _ **But it was this pride that she admired about him, and the strength he had. The last few months, he hardly spoke to her, but when he'd heard the gossip from the slaves, Vulpes had snuck to her tent in the night and told her it would be alright.  
For ages he hadn't touched her and that night it had been like they were children again. He'd embraced her and let her cry on his shoulder, kept telling her he would make everything right, he would fix things. That night, Sian believed him. But she knew better. There was nothing Vulpes could do. She'd been alone with The Butcher once in this past week. There was no way her friend could save her.**_

 _"Maybe it's for the best. Because you are going to hate me for what I'm about to do... I'm sorry, Fox. Maybe one day, you'll understand me, forgive me.."_

 _ **Sian stood abruptly. She had to leave now. There'd be a guard change soon. She poked her head out of the tent, and saw the coast was clear.  
Sian inched toward the main gate, focused on the guards. She only had a small time window. Just as she was about to move, a strong arm wrapped around her torso and pulled her back.  
A hand slid over her mouth and she was pulled back into the shadows.**_

 _ **She tried to struggle, to bite, but the man holding her just hissed to her to be quiet. The guards who finished their shift passed them and not two seconds later, their replacement arrived. She would've run right into them.**_

 _ **Her mysterious assailant pulled her along the barricades, past some deep trenches to the very edge of the Fort. He lifted the girl up and they squeezed through a breach hewn into the very rock that connected with the wooden poles. Only when they'd gotten a good distance away, did he let go of her and Sian spun around, immediately on the defensive.**_

 _"Lucius?"_ _ **her jaw dropped. The head of Caesar's Praetorian Guard? What the hell...**_

 _"What.. How... Why are you helping me?"_

 _ **"I've watched after you since you where a toddler, you've given me more exercise than I've ever wanted and I've seen you grow up. I'm not seeing you given to a man who'd treat you like a Brahmin. No. It's time for you to fly, little dove."**_

 _ **He lifted a large hand and laid it over the bruised side of the face.**_  
 _ **Sian smiled. Her old friend always called her dove, saying she was too soft for the eagle that was the sigil of the High Priestess.**_  
 _ **Lucius was one of the only people she'd trust with almost anything. And now.. If he was found out, crucifixion would be a gift.**_  
 _ **Sian tried to say something, but he shushed her, just staring at her face for a few seconds.**_

 _ **"Do you have everything? Weapons? Food? Supplies?" she nodded, and he held out a bag that he pulled from under his cloak and shoved it into her hands.**_  
 _ **"Try to go upriver, change the second you get on solid land and then get far, far away from here."**_

 _ **Sian tried to say something, to thank him, or tell him that she'd miss him, but no words came, just a few stray tears. Lucius pulled her close, almost breaking her ribs, and then, without warning, pushed her into the river.**_

 _ **"Spread your wings, little dove.."**_

Sian shot straight up, heaving large gulps of air. Her lungs hurt and tears streamed downed her face.

"Lucius..."

"Sian!" Arcade looked confused when his voice seemed to echo and spun around.  
Boone stood in the entrance, the Yao Guai lady right behind him.  
He strode over quickly and sank down next to the cot, as Sian let herself fall back down and winced.  
Aurelio and Rex yipped with joy, not having liked one of the pack going missing, and Marrrita knelt at the girl's head.

"Sweety, what happened?"

"I dunno.. Stabbed, I think..." Arcade scoffed, looking scandalized at her nonchalance. Sian just threw him a lazy grin. She was still dazed, and very weak, but alive. Everything hurt, but it was a good pain. She looked at Boone, the grin becoming a sly smirk, but lacking the usual air of mischief.

"I knew you'd come back..."

"Yeah, well I had to. Leave you alone for a few days and you almost fucking die."

"I missed you too, frump."


	24. Chapter 23

Syrus and Follows-Chalk reached the Narrows by noon the next day. Both men were experienced melee fighters and had ambushed some White Legs warriors along their trip. It was only a dent in their enemies forces, of course, but Syrus felt vindication with every corpse he left behind.  
Follows-Chalk was less aggressive than the young Legionary, but just as effective, and they were an impressive sight, splattered with their enemies blood.  
The Sorrows greeted them enthusiastically, which their missionary Daniel watched with disapproval.  
He did as Syrus asked though and gathered the warriors. It was a stretch to call them that, as the Sorrows were a peaceful tribe, but these were the ones most skilled in combat.

Syrus stepped up and saw determination in the faces; worry, anger, but no fear or hesitation.  
They knew why he was here.

"Sorrows! The White Legs are coming closer, and they leave a trail of charred earth and corpses! Soon they will reach your home, and if you let them, they will drive you out of Zion. And they won't stop."  
Syrus could feel the angry glare from Daniel, but he didn't care. He was telling the truth. If the White Legs were Legion allies, they'd destroy the tribes at any cost.

"You have a choice. You can choose to flee or to fight. But I'm here to tell you that the Dead Horses will fight. They have chosen not to run, but to defend their homes. And anyone of you who wishes to do the same, come with me. Together, we'll destroy the White Legs and show them that Zion belongs to you!"

Faces were staring at him with rapt attention. And suddenly he was lost for words. The Legion had taught him to rally men for battle. It was the Legion who made him.  
And now he was fighting against its allies. This was treason.

 _I have no choice,_ he thought with a scowl, _if I don't fight now, they'll overrun the valley. Sian is Legion as well, and they nearly killed her. I won't be ended by some tribals playing at war. No one is here to give me orders, I have to make my own choice. And I choose life!_

"I don't care if you choose not to fight. But I will! Because I refuse to die, refuse to let my friends die! I hardly have anything. I'll be damned if I'm gonna let what little I have get snatched away. But you, it's your entire life that is here. You were born here, your ancestors died here, and if you leave now, Zion will burn."

The Sorrows had been listening intently, both to Syrus, as well as Follows-Chalk's translation. There was an eerie silence over the camp, but one after another, the Sorrows raised their voices, chanting in their language, stomping their feet. The young Legionary, the man with the eyes of a child, had sparked a fire in them.

Syrus turned to Daniel, the missionary. Ignoring the older man's disdainful glare, he addressed him.

"Tell me what needs to be done, I will take care of it. Then I will take the ones willing to fight back to the Dead Horses Camp. This all will be over soon."

"One way or another? Joshua should be proud. Oh, don't try to deny it," He spat when he saw Syrus' confused look.  
"I know a Legionary when I see one. The Legate's spirit lives on."

"I don't deny it," Syrus replied harshly, "But here I fight for more. My charge almost got killed when the White Legs got her. She has my Lord's favour and.. she's my friend. I will see the White Legs burn."

Daniel watched him intently, but Syrus wasn't bothered and his face stayed void of emotion. Let the missionary think he was the devil incarnate, it didn't matter. This was bigger than any of them, this was a fight over paradise. He held the stare and waited.

"Since you have decided to fight, and many of the tribals will follow you, there is nothing left to do," Daniel was dejected, knowing when he was beaten. He could not hold back the tribe if they decided to follow this child into battle. But he would make one last stand.  
"I could tell you that what Joshua plans for the White Legs is not war, it is slaughter, but it won't dissuade you. So I'll tell you this: The Sorrows aren't warriors. They don't fight and they don't kill, and you will be the one to teach them how to live with themselves after have taken the life of someone who needn't have died."

"I have learned and so will they," Syrus replied icily, "Stop treating them like dumb children and they will stop behaving that way. Following me is their choice."

He turned to leave, not willing to continue the fruitless discussion. As he walked away, He could feel the glare on the his back.

"It is a choice I will never, ever, condone. Never!"

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Absolutely not!"

"Oh yeah? Try and stop me!"

"I'm pretty sure a radroach could stop you right now. Do you really want to get yourself killed so badly?"

"I'll be perfectly fine! And you're not leaving me behind!"

Though amusing to watch father and daughter have at it, Arcade saw that Sian was getting very pale again. It was normal when she was angry, he'd seen it before, but now he wasn't sure if it was due to anger or injury. He went over to the cot and pushed Sian down again, his hand staying on her shoulder. She shot him a truly frightening glare, but Arcade was unimpressed.

"You're staying here, and if I have to chain you to me. I don't think you understand, but you nearly died in that last attack. You're not ready yet." The girl opened her mouth to argue, but Arcade simply kept talking.  
"Let your father handle this. He'll have Boone and Syrus with him, not to mention the warriors and a pack of mutated bears. They can handle this without you."

"But.."

"No, Sian. Understand me," her father sat down on her cot and grabbed her hand. His was rough and coarse where hers were small and soft.  
"I wasn't there to protect you when you were at Caesar's mercy. I wasn't there when you were all alone in the desert. All these times you could have died, and I wasn't there. But now I'm here, and now I'm protecting you. So please, stay here. I'll deal with that animal, then we'll see what to do next. But I need you to stay here, I need to know you're safe. I can't be worrying about you, or I'm not concentrated. Please, don't make me bury you. Just stay here, and listen to reason for once."

She stared at her father, and she could see that he needed her to comply, just once, to stay behind. She didn't want to, and she didn't plan to, but she had to give him that peace of mind. At least for now.

"Fine. Fine. I'll stay here. But you will come back. All of you. Promise me."

"Promise. Now rest. This will all be over soon."

Sian watched her father and leave the cave with apprehension, then turned to Sniper standing beside her cot.

"Watch out for him, alright? I know you don't like him, I know why, but he's my dad."

Boone just grinned down at her, winked, and followed the Burned Man out of Angel cave. Outside, he quickly told Marrita they were leaving and to have William guard the cave entrance.

He was a bit taken aback when laid a hand on his shoulder, stood on tip-toes and kissed his cheek.

"Come back safe, soldier boy."

He jogged to reach the front of the group of warriors, where Graham was marching silently. Stony-faced.

They were a group of about 50 men and woman, all geared up for a war. It was clear that the Legate didn't want a show of dominance, but a massacre. And he felt strange, walking with a man he learned was the devil. They were marching into battle together, and the only connection Boone had with this man was the girl lying injured back at the camp. He still didn't trust Graham, still didn't want to believe that Sian was truly his daughter, and every rational instinct told him to run, to shoot, anything.  
But he didn't.  
The White Legs were allies of the Legion, and they had very nearly killed Sian, a girl he'd sworn to protect and then walked out on. Seemed to be a pattern in her life. One that needed to be broken.

"What do we do now?"

"We meet the boy and the Sorrows at the Two Skies Cave and head to Three Marys from there. It's not a long walk, but we want to avoid being ambushed. Three Marys is narrow and winding, we'll need every fighter there. You're a distance fighter, and they'll be coming out of the caves above, so take them out as soon as you can."

Boone said nothing, only nodded. Graham had it all planned out and it didn't surprise the sniper. He had been the Legion's war chief after all. Strategic thinking had to be second nature by now.  
It didn't take long to reach the cave and even from a distance, they could spot the group waiting for them. Syrus and Follows-Chalk we're leaning against the rocks, chatting quietly. Looked like they'd met with some resistance on their way.  
Joshua didn't call out for them, but waited until they were within speaking distance and greeted the Sorrows in their tribal language.  
Boone noted they had a distinct, skittish air about them, but they seemed determined.

Syrus glared daggers at him, but Graham hissed something at the boy in Latin and he backed down. For now.

The now rather large group followed the river slowly, keeping their eyes everywhere. Boone was alert, searching the area and around the last bend, before the Red Gate, he stopped the group dead in their tracks. Everyone's eyes were on him now, and he crouched down, strategically scanning the area through his scope of his suppressed Anti-Material Rifle.  
Three White Legs, patrolling the docks. Aligning the first one in his sights, he exhaled, fired, and before the other two could pinpoint where the muffled shot had come from, another dropped dead.  
The last one was smarter, finally found out where the threat was coming from. Taking too long to decide whether to run or attack, he died. A gunshot cracked through the valley, and Boone's head whipped around. Joshua fired his .45 with deadly accuracy.

No words were necessary as they moved on, and seeing the opening of Three Marys decorated with bloody handprints, everyone knew there was no going back.  
After a short discussion, Syrus broke off from the group with ten warriors. They took the lead, swiftly getting ahead of the group, moving silently through the water.

The men in Syrus' wake were the first to initiate combat. Behind the rocky boulders and tall structures that inhabited much of Utah, White Legs stood by, waiting for an opportunity to ambush. Syrus did much the same; he made a few hand movements that the tribals who followed him understood, and they drifted off, creeping around the rocks and sneaking up on the spots where the White Legs were anticipated to be.  
It worked; a single scream pierced the air when a tomahawk implanted itself into the back of a White Leg's neck.  
Behind a nearby tree, another enemy met his end when a datura-coated blade, wielded by a Dead Horse, hacked into the middle of his spine. More of the hidden White Legs began to understand their predicament, and they all emerged from their hiding spots, making frantic motions and shouting in an unfamiliar language at one another.

It began.  
The White Legs were fierce, but in comparison, their numbers were lacking. Syrus, Joshua, and the army of Sorrows and Dead Horses swept over the landscape in a wave, moving as one.  
Boone stayed near the back, sniping enemies off the ridges above, the sheer mass of people in front guarding him.  
Joshua commanded the troops with seasoned ease, right in the middle of the fray and not backing away from any challenge.

Both Boone and Syrus had been... apprehensive to follow the Legate into battle, not knowing what awaited them, but they shouldn't have been surprised. After all, war was war.  
This was the same chaos, the same stench of blood and fear, the same adrenaline that battle felt like in the NCR's or the Legion's army. Both soon forgot who they were following, Boone taking out his targets calmly and with discipline, Syrus loosing himself in the blood and the screams, indulging the beast the Legion had nurtured in him the day his training began. For now, no one took notice that the boy was far more brutal than anyone else on the battle field, that he slay his enemies with more venom and more cruelty than necessary.  
Not Boone, who was working with efficiency, not Follows-Chalk, who fought with a cause, and certainly not Joshua, who was burning with the familiar rage.

Just when the men thought that the Sorrows had taken one too many hits, more of them emerged from behind, some of them having taken a while to catch up, others being the same men that had started by their sides, having ducked behind a rock or taken a more secluded route through the mountainous canyon in order to avoid the flying tomahawks and spears being chucked at them. Unlike Joshua or Boone, the Sorrows didn't have many firearms, nor did they have the deadly accuracy that the old Legate and the sniper both did. Boone and Joshua looked were the rallying point of the group as they pressed on, and anyone watching from the heavens would think that they should have been shot or stabbed by now, leading the fight head-on and not harbouring any lethal wounds as of yet.  
Perhaps it was due to their experience, or perhaps it was due to the Sorrows tribals who'd rush in before any shots were fired, drawing the White Legs' attention before effectively executing them—and if they faltered, Boone, Joshua, Follows-Chalk, or Syrus picked up the slack. When a Sorrow missed a swing or a shot, one of the four leaders would end the target.  
Syrus seemed to be lost amidst a pattern, allowing the Sorrows to run ahead and distract the White Legs for seconds before the young Frumentarius would charge in and slaughter them, one at a time, one after the other, slowly but surely.

The river became narrower as time passed. The men found themselves weaving through the ridges of one of Utah's tallest structures, the platforms of land and up-high places occupied by White Legs who thought themselves to be hidden, until the 1st Recon sniper took them down in the blink of an eye. Boone knew where anyone would hide if they planned to fight at a distance. They weren't hard to spot and experience was a good leader now.

Joshua did much the same to the enemies closer to them, and those who didn't fall due prey of a .45 round were brought down by Follows-Chalk, Syrus, or one of their many Sorrows or Dead Horse allies.

Joshua swept through the river, his tattered pants stained with water and splatters of blood. A White Leg flew from around a nearby boulder—the first enemy to succeed in surprising the burned man—and slashed at Joshua with a handheld tomahawk.  
The first cut did nothing, leaving only a gash on his black armoured vest, but the second left a slice on the bottom of his stomach. It wasn't deep enough to faze him, however; Joshua took a firm hold of the tribal, twisting his wrist backwards so hard it snapped almost entirely off of the man's body, making him drop his weapon and let out an agonized scream that echoed throughout Zion.  
Joshua yanked the tribal towards himself, placed the barrel of his pistol against the enemy's jaw, and pulled the trigger. A disgusting explosion of crimson coated him, his bandages blotching red, and Joshua released the handless nub, letting the tribal's remains collapse into the water before marching onward as though nothing had happened.

"Forward march." Joshua commanded in a tone even colder than his usual one.

"En zukah dest victory?" Follows-Chalk asked Joshua, though Boone and Syrus wouldn't understand the dialect. "What se victory definous? An Salt-Upon-Wounds?"

Joshua didn't reply.  
As they moved, Syrus grew restless. The empty portions of the camp were infuriating to see; the Frumentarius wanted the White Legs to make themselves known, to show their faces, to present themselves to him on a silver platter so that he could exterminate them from the face of the earth.  
Boone and Follows-Chalk were as calm as ever, while Joshua maintained his burning fury with a discipline that would've made his God proud.

A clearing came into view, the creek stretching into a shallow pond as they waded into the opening. White Legs stood adjacent from them, and the Sorrows invaded the clearing without a second thought, dashing forward with their weapons held high and their war cries filling the canyon, mixing with the voices of the White Leg menace so loudly it sent waves of rocks tumbling down from some of the mountainsides around them. It was perhaps the most fantastic show yet; Sorrows and Dead Horses and White Legs took turns slicing, hacking, and even burning one another, shouting in strange languages and crying out in pain, some of them even laughing in a maniac way that would have stricken fear into any sane man that played witness to the event, though as it were, there were no sane men around to watch the battle unfold.

Submachine guns opened fire from somewhere overhead, and Boone zeroed in on the shooters at once. Two White Legs had positioned themselves on either side of the ravine up top, and the sniper made quick work of them. Some of the their men fell into the water, their bodies riddled with bullets, but the battle was far from over.  
Seeing their comrades fall at their feet sparked a fire in Joshua, Follows-Chalk, and Syrus all at once. Joshua went forward with a steady stride, firing off shot after merciless shot, and Follow-Chalk took to his tribal brothers' sides, intent on keeping them as safe as possible so not to see any more of them meet their deaths.  
Syrus, however, didn't seem to have a plan. The Frumentarius dove into the bulk of the White Leg crowd, dragging his blade through one body after another, his armour and skin drenched in more blood than anyone else's, his teeth grinding, and his eyes wild with madness. He didn't feel the tomahawk graze his left arm, or the spear that had hit his right leg in the shin. No, his body moved on its own now, his heart thrashing inside his chest and his skin almost burning to the touch as he fought.

Boone, who had been fighting behind Joshua and the others this whole time—his job being to cover the others—found himself conflicted. Joshua and Follows-Chalk were occupied with assisting the Sorrows in holding off the White Legs, and none of them seemed to be available to pull Syrus away from the enemy's territory. Syrus didn't notice it, but from where Boone stood, the Legionary's position was perfectly clear; he was being swarmed.

"God, fucking…" Boone raised his rifle, preparing for the harsh recoil, and fired. One of the White Legs nearest to Syrus crumbled to the watery ground. Boone continued this until five more of the tribals were no more, but Syrus was lost in battle with three of them, none of whom Boone was able to line up a clear shot on.

Then, Boone did something that was both very brave and very stupid; he tossed his rifle onto a patch of dry land and pulled a dainty 9mm from the holster on his side, darting into the battle and throwing himself between Syrus and his opponents. Boone shoved the boy backwards with all his might, making the Frumentarius fumble and fall into the water, then spun around an bashed his elbow into a White Legs' head, knocking him unconscious in an instant.  
Follows-Chalk ambushed one of them, wrapping his legs around the tribal and wrestling him to the ground before running a knife across his throat. The last White Leg was shot down by Joshua. Syrus, still enraged, flew to his feet and prepared to jump into battle again—even though there were no more White Legs remaining in the clearing—and Boone clamped both of his hands onto the boy's arms, giving him a hard shake and holding him firmly to the spot where he stood.

"Calm. The fuck. Down." Boone spoke very slowly, and very clearly, as he glared into Syrus' narrowed, green eyes. "First thing they teach you in basic training; don't lose yourself in combat."

Syrus panted and fumed as he returned Boone's gaze with a wicked leer. He could have retaliated, could have rambled about how 'basic training' in the Republic was nothing when compared to the training of Legion recruits, but he said nothing. Syrus had been undoubtedly loyal to his Legion until now, and their doctrine was burned into him like a scar on his mind.  
He had always been willing to die for the Legion without hesitation, to lose himself in battle fighting for the glory of Caesar. Nevertheless—now, as he stood by the sides of the banished burned man and an NCR sniper—the rules were different, and something, some tiny voice in the back of his head, made Syrus feel as though Boone might have been right. Losing himself in battle was _not_ the best option, for his own survival or for anyone else's. It wasn't as if he regretted his actions here, but he needed to keep himself from drifting too far from his own sanity, lest he become something a little too similar to the Monster of the East.

Joshua and Follows-Chalk watched until Syrus forced some composure into himself, taking a deep breath and returning to his regular state of mind.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They drew cautiously nearer to the heart of the White Leg's home when Arcade, back at the Dead Horse's camp with Sian, finally decided to leave the girl's company for a moment in order to find her a small meal of some kind, something to calm her rattled nerves.  
It took a formidable amount of willpower to make himself leave her company even for a second, partially out of worry, and partly because he didn't trust Sian not to run off. Arcade slipped out of the cave and approached Waking-Cloud at the campfire.

She and Marrita were one step ahead of the doctor, already brewing a fresh pot of soup for Sian and themselves. Arcade sat and waited for the soup to be finished, glimpsing between Marrita, Waking-Cloud, and the cave's entrance. It was alright for them to be out here, he figured. As far as he knew, the cave's entrance just behind them was the only way in or out of the small valley from the cave. Sian would have to wander out into plain view before sneaking off. She wouldn't get past them.

Inside the cave, Sian lie fuming on the cot. She'd refused to speak with Arcade, who'd tried to strike up a conversation. The doctor meant well, she knew that. But she resented him for treating her like a fragile child.  
She wasn't! She had grown up in the shadow of the Bull, was of Legion blood, and only since her coma-like sleep did Sian really begin to understand what that entailed.  
It meant dedication to a cause, willingness to die for your convictions, it meant never giving up, and never, never let something as insignificant as a wound hold you back.  
She might be torn about the Legion's cause, and the means they were willing to take to reach their goal. But she was Legion. And that scared the girl. Fear turned to confusion. And it fuelled her irrational anger at Arcade.

 _How dare he keep me here like an insolent child!?I ran from the Legion, I was 15, out alone in the desert, and I survived, until those cowards jumped me! I survived without them.  
They're scared, scared that I'll go back. Scared that I will bow before Caesar. Something like that. I don't know. I don't care. But I am of the blood of the bull! In my veins, it calls to fight!_

"To hell with them. Rex, go guard entrance, bark if someone comes," She swung her legs over the side of the cot, pushing herself upright. Her pets were excited, but kept silent. They were aiding their Mistress flight, and they knew how to go unnoticed.  
Sian grabbed her leather jacket, zipping it up and securing the latches. It would give at least some protection over her stiffly bandaged torso, which relieved her greatly. She wasn't suicidal, after all.  
Leaving her rifle behind was a tactical choice. It might get stuck on the rocks encasing the narrow ravine she had to climb down, so she strapped her machete to her back, the .45 went into the holster on her hip, Maria into the one on her thigh.  
Sian was gearing up fast and methodically. She didn't have much time, and if Arcade came back before she was gone... That wasn't going to happen. She had no plan b.

She bent down to grab some pouches of healing powder, and inhaled sharply when the pain hit her like a brick to the face. She tried to fight it, but a wave of nausea overcame her and forced down on one knee, taking deep breaths to force it away. This would not do. Healing powder wouldn't help.  
She saw the weathered satchel sitting on the ground before her, Arcade kept all his chems in there. Sian slid her hand into Arcade's medical bag and pulled out three or four needles before finding the one she was looking for. She didn't like chems, and she knew she had little tolerance for them, but now, she could have nothing hold her back.  
Staring at the syringe in her hand, the girl hesitated. For all her toughness and bravado, she hated needles. But there was no way around it.  
Pushing her sleeve up, she found a vein and jammed the needle in almost roughly, biting down to contain a whimper. The pain cut off abruptly and she dropped the needle carelessly.

At the end of the cave was something narrow, something tiny, a sliver of light peeking out from the other side of the mountain. It didn't look big enough for a human being to climb through, but for someone like Sian… she could make it work.

Sian placed her arms together before delving into the hole head first, springing out on the other side and cradling through the crevice. Ignoring the shooting pains throughout her body, she headed off, basking in the sunlight for a brief moment before finding a path absent of water—so not to make a lot of splashing noises as she walked—and headed for Three Marys. It would be a long ass walk, but she would make it in time. She had to.

She ignored everything around her, and miraculously, the creatures of Zion ignored her as well as she raced through the wild country. She was almost there, it wasn't far, just a stone's throw!  
Suddenly the back of her neck prickled and she lunged forward, throwing herself of balance and tumbling to the ground, a tomahawk smashing itself into the ground a few feet ahead.  
Sian spun around, and two White Legs advanced toward her. They weren't in the Marys, what the hell were they doing here?  
Before Sian ever had the chance to go for her guns, Aurielo let out a fearsome hiss and charged at one of the men, sharp teeth tearing into his shoulder.  
Rex followed suit, sinking his claws into the second man's calf, yanking him to the ground.  
While Aurelio's victim lay poisoned, convulsing and foaming from the mouth, Rex was standing on his victim's chest, snarling.  
The White Leg screamed and tried to shove the rabid dog off him, but to no avail. From his vantage point, it looked like Rex might have been grinning.

"Rex! Stop playing and finish him! We need to go." At hearing his mistress' voice, Rex' ears perked up and he obeyed, tearing his victim's throat out. He came back, bloody snout and waging tail, Aurelio following behind him, happily rattling his tail.  
Sian nearly laughed at the absurdity of it all. But reality kicked in and she pushed herself back to her feet. She had to get moving. Now.

Over the hills and between rocky shortcuts, Sian bolted, Rex and Aurelio dashing along behind her as she did. There was no telling how much ground she covered while Joshua Graham was invading the core of the White Legs' home, kicking the tribals onto their knees and delivering one execution after another, a 45 round to the backs of each of their heads. Sian was able to hear the echoing gunshots as she drew nearer and nearer to her father.

Sian would reach the entrance of Three Marys around the time Arcade entered the cave to check on her, only to find an abandoned cot and an empty med-x syringe, as well as other chems of his scattered about on the ground. The doctor's mouth fell open, his skin whitening.

"No, no, no… come on… for the love of…"

Arcade left in a hurry to make chase after Sian, but she and her two pets were already hot on her father's tail.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In the heart of the canyon, Joshua stood front and center as Follows-Chalk and Syrus finished off the melee fighters. Salt-Upon-Wounds shot forward like a bullet, a towering monument of muscle and paint, but he was no match for Joshua.  
The moment Salt-Upon-Wounds' unique powerfist ascended, preparing to strike, Joshua moved with an agility he hadn't possessed in years, swerving beneath the swing of the electric gauntlet and dodging the attack by only about two inches, the powerfist grazing the top of his head, the wind sweeping over his scalp just before he retaliated with a ruthless upward strike, his hardened knuckles bashing into Salt-Upon-Wounds' jaw, cracking it, some of his teeth shattering as he stumbled backwards.  
Joshua launched another punch, this time breaking the ringleader's nose in two with a deafening, sickening CRACK. Salt-Upon-Wounds' face spouted blood like a water faucet. Joshua kicked the back of his knee, bringing Salt-Upon-Wounds to a defeated kneeling position, just like he had with all the other White Legs.  
The barrel of A Light Shining In Darkness pressed against Salt-Upon-Wounds' head, the metal scalding hot as it bore into his skin.

"We warned you at Syracuse, and you persisted." Graham's voice was low, unwavering, as he spoke to the beast at his feet.  
"You took advantage of us at New Canaan to drive us out, and like the dogs of Caesar you are, you followed us to Zion. And now you kneel on holy ground, a temple to God's glory on Earth. But, the only use for an animal in our temple… is sacrifice."

Joshua knelt beside him, his gun kissing Salt-Upon-Wounds' cheek. The burned man's eyes flared a wicked blue as they pierced the fallen leader.

"Kale, watcha nei, conserva oh." Joshua spoke menacingly beside Salt-Upon-Wounds' head. "You understand me, don't you?" He pushed the glistening silver .45 deeper into the man's face.  
 _"Don't_ you?"

"Wait!"

A high pitched voice cut through the tension in the small valley; Joshua almost stood bolt upright at the sound of it, but he couldn't take his eyes off of Salt-Upon-Wounds. Syrus, Boone, and Follows-Chalk all spun around.

Sian came to a sliding stop in the water, Rex and Aurelio halting at either side of her. She was at the entrance to the clearing, a collection of White Leg bodies littering the ground and the creek on both sides of her, the usually crystalline water stained with small rivers of blood that flowed past her ankles.  
She looked winded, had some small scrapes on her face and hands and the canines light fur was bloodstained. But all three were standing.  
Boone and Syrus shared the same uneasiness at seeing Sian here. It didn't surprise either of them, but neither of them were particularly fond of her having followed them, either.

Joshua reached his feet very slowly, not taking his eyes off of Salt-Upon-Wounds as he circled around him, facing Sian and keeping his gun on the man on the ground. He looked up, keeping both his enemy and his daughter within his immediate line of sight.

"You… are testing my patience." Joshua growled. "Go back to the camp, Sian. Now."

"No." Sian retorted. "Look at you. You're about to execute him like a lame Brahmin. This isn't who you are. You're the Malpais Legate! Not some common murderer!"

Joshua glared at her.

Sian took in a deep breath and continued. "I don't care if he dies. He means nothing to me. But you… you're supposed to be a commander! A leader to follow! You're not a thug. You're the Malpais Legate. Let him stand, let him fight. Let him die with his dignity! Non est qui sis. Hoc est quod est! Et scitis!"

Boone squinted at Sian. Her pattern of speech had changed somehow, and the end of that sentence… that wasn't English. Syrus and Joshua, however, understood Sian perfectly. There was a long, tense silence, during which Joshua appeared to be very deep in thought, his eyes slowly drifting between Sian and the broken man kneeling beside him.

"Take it off." Joshua demanded, jerking his gun at Salt-Upon-Wounds' powerfist.  
"You will stand… and atone for your sins. Without weapons. Take it off."

Arcade became exhausted as he made his way through the canyon, playing witness to a series of horrific after effects along the way. Sorrows and Dead Horses stood atop the mountainsides, throwing the burned and desecrated carcasses of the defeated White Legs over the cliffs, some of the body parts landing too close to the doctor, splashing him with water and blood as he waded through the creek after Sian.  
He reached the clearing in time to see the encounter unfold and hear what the young girl said to her father. Arcade stood behind Sian without saying a word, his focus on Salt-Upon-Wounds just like everyone else's. Salt-Upon-Wounds removed his powerfist as he was instructed, then stood upright, taking a fighting stance.

Joshua spun his pistol around his finger and tossed it over to Boone, who caught it by the barrel.

Salt-Upon-Wounds shook his head almost violently in order to sling most of the blood off his face, clearing his vision. Both men charged at the same time. It was unclear who threw the first punch; Joshua's skin screamed in pain with every blow, his burns feeling like they were lit ablaze all over again, but Salt-Upon-Wounds released a howl of pain when Joshua's fist met with his already broken nose.  
Both men had their disadvantages, but nothing stopped them. A thick arm slammed into Joshua's skull at some point, obscuring his senses, but he gathered himself quickly; the Malpais Legate's leg shot up, delivering a forceful kick to Salt-Upon-Wounds' stomach and effectively knocking the wind out of him. Salt-Upon-Wounds had tried to trap Joshua in a sleeper hold just seconds beforehand, and he wasn't having it. Once the beast was void of breath, Joshua's hands clamped together, and he brought his arms up, allowing Salt-Upon-Wounds to glimpse upwards long enough to meet his gaze, before—

WHAM.

Joshua's elbows came down like missiles, crackling the top of Salt-Upon-Wounds' skull. The sound of the bone crumbling was something none of them would ever forget.

The oafish leader fell into the water motionlessly.

Joshua stiffened his stance and let out a long, satisfied breath. The silence might have been tense for everyone else, but he felt at ease, more so than any human should after murdering a man bare handedly.  
The White Leg menace was no more, their spirit broken as the man before him and their leader was gone for good. The quietness in the air wasn't due to Sian, or Boone, or Syrus, or Follows-Chalk, or Arcade being at a loss for words. It was the sound of peace, of tranquillity, of an ongoing and agonizing problem coming to a just and long anticipated end.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The entire way back to the Dead Horse camp, Joshua was quiet. He had grabbed his daughter's arm, dragging her along, not saying a word to her. Arcade was ranting at her along the way, but Joshua was very dangerously silent.

The day faded into an early twilight, and when they approached the camp again, blood covered and exhausted, Waking-Cloud was the first to greet them. Sian wanted to break away, but Joshua's grasp on her tightened. Arcade had stopped ranting, finally, while Boone and Follows-Chalk simply watched the anger emit from Joshua like radiation from an atomic bomb. He turned to Sian, his eyes looking as though they harboured a thousand conflicting thoughts. It seemed like an eternity had passed before he finally spoke.

"You… don't have the right to make those decisions for me." He told her. "You will _not_ disobey my orders, and you will _not_ throw yourself into danger when you're wounded. Do I make myself clear?"

"What're you going to do? Ground me?" Sian quipped back, a spark of mutiny in her voice.

Joshua squinted at her. "No. Not if I don't have to. I have a much better… solution. I won't ground you. I'll just have to… keep an eye on you."

Arcade blinked. Boone and Follows-Chalk exchanged baffled looks.  
Sian simply stared at her father.

Joshua's time in New Canaan had been both useful and necessary for the survival of the Sorrows and the Dead Horses, but now—now that the White Legs were no longer a threat, and now that he had been reunited with his daughter again—to him, the most sensible solution was to leave Zion. Follows-Chalk and the other tribals were to be protected, but none of them could appease the demons that still resided in the burned man's soul.  
It was strange, because here, his motivation had been merely to protect the people around him, his new family—but not for any of them would he hold his tongue, would he cease in combat, would he change his ways at all. The only person in the world who held that power over him was standing right by his side, glaring up at him with those familiar electric blue eyes, bearing the same spark of passion as his own.

Sian, and nobody else in the world, would keep him grounded—and not only that, but she obviously had an aptitude for recklessness, and he doubted that her companions would always be able to accommodate for that.  
He, better than anyone else, could handle her. He needed to. Besides, the Sorrows and the Dead Horses would be left in the capable hands of Daniel. Passive as he might be, he was probably the better option now, with the White Legs having been exterminated and with Zion now secure. They didn't need to rest under the wing of the Burned Man any longer. His vengeance didn't need to become contagious. He had done more than enough for them, and he knew damn well that they'd never forget it.

Boone and Arcade, naturally, both had hesitant thoughts about the matter. They knew that Joshua couldn't run back to the Legion, but could they really trust him? Not only that, but travelling with the Legion's most wanted was sure to draw them some unfavourable attention when they got back to the Mojave, right? Sian was expected to come back to Caesar's Fort, which neither of them liked, but if word got out that she was reunited with her father, answering the summons would mean certain death.

Syrus was thinking along the same lines, doubled with his troubling memories of the fights hours ago, small segments of the altercations foggy and blurred in his recollection. He'd let himself go completely, and being ordered around by a profligate soldier shouldn't have been necessary. That encounter put a nasty taste in his mouth. Boone had no right to interfere with his actions earlier. But, at the moment, Syrus' mind was more occupied with the thought of the Burned Man walking the Mojave again. He himself was Legion, and everything he'd done since arriving in Utah had been treasonous. This—bringing the banished Malpais Legate back to the homeland of Caesar—would be the final straw for him if anyone found out about it.

Sian gulped. This was her own father, someone she hardly imagined existed up until their arrival in Utah, but her relief at seeing him alive meant that she must have, at some point in time, been very close to him. She wanted him to be alright, but to have him following her across the Mojave, keeping a parental watch over her all the time? What was that supposed to be like? It was nice that he wanted to be by her side, but… what on earth was she supposed to expect from it? Protection? Scolding? Both? God, it was confusing…

Still, Sian did have a deep connection with the man, that was for sure. In fact, when she'd charged off to Three Marys after him, she might've made him proud if he were to see her act that way in his younger days, if he wasn't her father, and if she was just some random warrior who thirsted for battle. She related to him in that respect, perhaps a bit too much. If only for a moment earlier today, Sian swore that a familiar passion had taken control of her, that the blood of the bull guided her to Three Marys without giving her any room for forethought or question. What was that about? She'd never thought like that before… had she?

"You're going… to the civilized lands?" Follows-Chalk said to Joshua, a tinge of curiosity in his tone. "Does that mean, that I…"

"Follows-Chalk, you have been a great scout, and your bravery today will go down in Zion's history. You've carried out God's will here today. You are a true hero, therefore, if you're still insistent on visiting the civilized lands, you're free to do whatever you like. Nobody will think badly of you if you leave. Not after today. However," Joshua said, placing a hand on Follows-Chalk's shoulder. "It'd be unwise of me to let you loose in the Mojave without warning you of its terrible dangers. Life here, in Zion, it's… purer. It's more clear, more righteous. That is why I'm leaving, for my daughter, but also because… the people of Zion, the Sorrows and the Dead Horses alike, need a leader fit to look after them. Someone who is loyal and kind, yet not afraid to defend his home. Daniel has pure intentions, but well… you, after what I saw today, can help him. The tribals cannot be left afraid to fight once I leave. You are not afraid to fight for your home, for your family. That's why I believe that it would be a terrible waste to throw you into the Mojave, with the drug fiends and the crime lords. You could do more, do better, here. On God's land, with God's people."

"I…" Follows Chalk looked down for a moment. There was a brief silence before he spoke his decision. "I…. yes. I understand. Goot cists. I will stay, and in your absence, I will help Daniel to tend to the tribes. But, Joshua… and Sian… never hesitate to call upon me, should you ever need our help again. We will be here, waiting to repay our debts to you when you need us."

Nobody saw it, but Joshua attempted a smile for Follows-Chalk. They'd never need to repay any debts; Joshua and the others only did was they should have, protected what they held dear at all costs. Lives were lost, and they wouldn't be forgotten—but now, here they stood, on the soft dirt of Zion Canyon, the home they had protected and earned. The tribes finally had their safety, and now, it was Sian's turn to do the same for her home, and God only knew what that would entail.


	25. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24 – The call of the desert**

Their last night was in Zion was peaceful, despite the small fight between father and daughter.  
Arcade led Joshua into his cave to stitch up the gash on the older man's stomach, and had asked Sian to help him, but Joshua had violently refused, giving no reason at all.

The doctor had understood however. Sian had no memories of what her father looked like before, but despite knowing what lie beneath the bandages, the girl had never seen it.  
And Joshua didn't want her to. Didn't want his daughter to see the scars that marked his downfall.  
So, Waking Cloud came to assist instead. The tribal woman lost no word during the procedure, while Arcade was muttering as usual.

Outside, Sian was patching Syrus back together, who clearly looked uncomfortable with the fuss she was making. His wounds weren't that bad, and these things just happened, but the smaller girl had simply told him to shut up and let her work.  
Boone was lying next to the fire, his head on Marrita's thigh, and would throw the boy smug grins whenever he winced. He didn't like the young Legionary any better, and that little stunt today had shown him that the boy was incredibly unpredictable in a fight, if very effective.  
Not like Boone would ever, ever, tell Syrus so, but the boy had skills. Only needed to learn restraint.

They all wanted to wind down, to relax for a while, for the next morning they would depart for the Mojave and they all knew things would get a lot more complicated from now on.  
In a way, each of them wished they could stay in Zion forever, live in peace and let the world be damned.  
Boone knew he certainly did. Maybe he would've been able to start over here, away from his past. Here it didn't matter who he was, what symbol he bore.  
But there was something, deep inside. He could see Sian felt it as well, when their eyes met, he could see it.  
She, too, felt the call of the desert.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The trip back wasn't very eventful. Marrita had to realize that her Yao Guai would not flourish in the desert, there not being enough water for them, and decided to leave them in Zion with the Dead Horse tribe. Only William, the largest of the lot, was coming with them. She couldn't bear to leave him behind.

They made good time, and over the two weeks, Boone actually got used to Joshua's company. Unlike Syrus, who kept arguing with Arcade and telling Sian about the Legion, Joshua hardly ever spoke of it. As if that part of his life had never existed.  
Except when Sian asked him about it. Her father answered her every question, not hiding any of his many sins, but spoke with sincere remorse.  
And Sian hung at his lips.

Every night when they made camp, they'd sit down together, he'd ask questions about her life, many of which, she couldn't answer, and they spoke about the decisions she had made. Her father didn't agree with all of them, but all in all, she had done well under the difficult circumstances she'd been in.

The only thing they fought about, was Sian's decision to meet with Caesar once more. Everyone in the group had an opinion on that, mainly that it was a bad, horrible idea. Except for Syrus, of course. But Arcade also understood that she wanted more information, wanted to understand more, especially since she had found out more about her past.  
The doctor had also tried to talk to Sian about the dreams, but she clammed up every time he tried. There was still too much about it she didn't remember, didn't understand. She didn't wake up screaming any longer, so everyone assumed Sian was sleeping better. She preferred it that way.

All in all, she was sleeping better. The recurring nightmare hadn't come back since they arrived in Zion, and even though the new ones were even more terrifying, they affected her a lot less in the long run.  
These dreams gave her an idea of who and what she was dealing with in her business with Caesar. He was smart. Too smart. She'd need a good cover on where she had been all this time.  
In her head, the girl went through numerous scenarios, sometimes just changing a word or a sentence in the imagined conversation, taking into account all she knew about the man.

 _I_ will _kill House. There's no question to that. Maybe, if I'm lucky, that'll butter him up enough to believe whatever story I tell him. I need to go back to the Fort. I need to find out what the Legion is planning. If it's worth supporting, or if I need to destroy it. And this time, I'm leaving Arcade behind._

Boone watched Sian a lot on their trip back. In the few days he'd been gone, she'd changed. The stony expression was new. He didn't like it, but he had no idea how to address the issue. Even Syrus didn't get through to her like before.  
Due to her injuries, Sian tired even more quickly than on their way to Utah, so she escaped many questions and scrutinizing glances by simply rolling up on the ground and falling asleep as soon as they stopped for the night. Some days the girl was exhausted to the point of where she'd just settle on William's back for the last hour or so and just drowsily let the Yao Guai carry her.  
Nobody really tried to keep her up, because they all knew she needed rest if she were to make the trek the next day. Marrita especially had been very vocal in letting the girl rest all she needed.

She herself had much less problems managing the long walks every day. Raising a pack of mutated monsters had done wonders for her stamina, despite not being much of a fighter.  
But she acted as a sort of buffer between Sian and the others, feeling that, whatever the issue, it could wait until they reached their destination.  
Whenever Sian rode on William however, the older woman tried to talk to her.  
Marrita was more tactful than the guys, more careful in how she worded things and usually made sure they couldn't be overheard, and while Sian did actually answer her, she didn't share much.  
The girl was simply distracted, thinking a lot. And Marrita didn't see a reason to force her to divulge those thoughts.  
Eventually Sian would tell them what had her occupied.

As the two weeks neared their end, the country around them became flatter and drier. Marrita understood now why the others had rationed the water so strictly and why Sian collected every empty bottle of Soda or water they could find. One night she had helped the younger girl improvise some make-shift saddle bags for William, with Sian happily commenting how much more water they could take now, whenever they came upon a freshwater source.  
Marrita had never thought this far. She lived in Zion her entire life; water, food, all of it was abundant there.  
Arcade, too, had been taking advantage of the vegetation along the trail and had stuffed a bag full of brock flowers and xander roots to make stimpacks. Marrita had laughed and called them hoarders.

Everything went more or less smoothly until they were three days away of their destination. Sian was chasing ahead with Syrus. It wasn't smart, and Boone grumbled about them being to conspicuous, but they didn't listen to him and neither Arcade nor Joshua had the heart to reign them in.  
They could both handle themselves, after all. And hearing their laughter as they taunted each other was refreshing.

"You're gonna have to do a lot better than that if you wanna catch me!" Sian called back over her shoulder.  
There were still boulders everywhere, but the land had gotten flatter, so running at breakneck speed was a lot less dangerous.  
Syrus chased the girl through a crevice, marvelling at how much faster than him she was. He had to concentrate on the ground to not trip over any loose rocks.

Both him and Sian needed this. These carefree moments, away from the 'adults' and their disapproving glares, moments in which they could be children. Away from the bloodshed and the hatred and the decisions that weighed on them, far before they were ready to shoulder them.  
While thinking on this, Syrus tripped over a random branch and skidded across the sandy ground. He heard Sian shriek with laughter, but she didn't stop.  
The young Legionary spat out the sand and jumped back to his feet with a wide grin.  
He'd lost sight of his blue-haired friend, and gave pursuit. He wouldn't be stood up by a girl, after all.

Sian had heard him fall, but as long as he didn't call for her, she knew he wasn't hurt. The crevice was becoming more narrow, branching off into three paths.  
Sian instinctively took the left one, not questioning her decision, and kept running.  
Syrus would make it to the fork within seconds and she wanted to keep her headstart.  
The young blonde skidded to a halt at the fork, suddenly unsure.  
Joshua had grabbed him before they ran off and told, no, ordered him, to keep Sian in his sight at all times. Her father was still worried, even though her injuries were healing well.

 _Right. Everyone would go right... Right?_

This convoluted thought made up his mind and he sprinted down the path to his right, confident that he would catch up in no time at all.  
The small pathway twisted and turned at odd angles.  
Sian wasn't entirely sure which direction she was heading in, but she didn't stop to orientate herself. The high, narrow walls threw back her footsteps a thousandfold, and she couldn't be sure how far behind her Syrus was. The crevice would even out eventually, opening into flat land again.  
Syrus was giving it his all, pulling every bit of strength from his legs to go faster. He kept his eyes sharp for that flash of blue that showed him his prey was close.  
She couldn't be far. Syrus turned a sharp corner and nearly smacked into a wall of solid rock.

 _A dead-end? What... That's not possible! Fuck! Joshua's gonna skin me alive!_

Suddenly the boy was worried. He took off down the way he came, and when he came back to the fork, he prayed to Mars he would take the right path this time.  
Sian could see the end of the crevice and burst through, laughing.  
The laughter died in her throat, when she realized she had burst into a small campground. Four men, all dressed in Legion garb.  
They stared at her as incredulously as she at them.

 _The fuck are Legionaries doing this far north? Shit! Shit, shit, shit! They can't see my dad, they can't report back where they saw me... They can't leave alive._

But Sian hesitated in drawing her guns. They outnumbered her, Syrus was taking his sweet ass time to catch up. And these weren't thugs or raiders.  
If she made a move, she would die.  
The Legion soldiers were simply surprised, but it wore off quickly and the oldest of the troop grabbed her arm, even though Sian made no move to run.  
He wasn't sure what to do with her. They were a scouting party, had an assignment, but a fresh capture, especially an easy one as this, could not be left behind. This was a young, pretty girl after all and the slave handlers would pay a good price for her. But something kept him from it. The older man squinted at the girl, but they were all startled again when a young man stumbled into the little clearing.  
Syrus assessed the situation with one glance, and made a quick decision.

"Ave, amici," he called out, raising his hands slowly and drawing out the golden pendant from under his armour. This was a bad, a very bad situation, and he needed to get Sian away from that man, immediately.  
The Legionary saw the pendant and recognized the sigil of the frumentarii at once. Everyone knew the winged man who represented the messenger god.

"You let this one escape, eh?"

"No, you misunderstand," Syrus chuckled, seemingly at ease.  
"She's an... associate. We work with her on occasion. So, if you would unhand her, we can be on our way."

The man holding Sian was about to let go, when one of the younger members of his party piped up.

"What were you running from, then?"

Sian had to bite her tongue to keep the snarky response in, but Syrus had no such reservations.

"You know what training is? You know, running for the sake of getting better or faster? Look around, there's not much to do other than stare at rocks, and I'd rather have an enjoyable trip."

Syrus put right amount of disdain and arrogance into his tone to dissuade the foot soldier. They were about the same age, but Syrus was higher in rank, and the other boy did not dare mouth off.  
The commander, whose hand was still clamped around Sian's arm looked angry, but he let the girl go.  
Praetorians and Frumentarii stood above the rest of the Legion. No matter if he wanted to or not, he had to obey this... child.  
Sian returned to Syrus' side and kept quiet. In this situation, until it was defused, the less she said, the better.

But before her friend could say something to distract the Legionaries, the sound of a gunshot startled them into action. The high-calibre projectile tore through the head of the boy who'd been suspicious of them.  
Syrus pulled Sian behind him and back towards the crevice, diving out of the way as William came barrelling through.  
The mighty Yao Guai faced the Legionaries, acting much like a barrier between them and the teens behind him.  
Boone had stuck to the top of the crevice and was now stomping towards the edge, rifle raised and ready. Arcade and Marrita appeared beside Sian and Syrus, Joshua only a step behind.  
Now, with the security of enough backup, Syrus, who gave Joshua a furtive sign to stay back, came out behind William, his gun drawn.  
Arcade followed suit, Marrita stayed back with Sian and her father.  
The three remaining Legionaries were by no means cowering however.  
One drew his hunting rifle, but wasn't sure who the biggest threat was. The sniper, the Yao Guai, or the rogue Frumentarius.

"Lay down your weapons," Syrus called out as the other two drew their machetes.  
"We can do this the hard way, or the easy way."

"You traitor!" The young Legionary had spotted Boone's beret, and cried his accusation with honest anger. He started towards Syrus, but William's feral roar stopped him in his tracks. The huge animal shifted in agitation, waiting for his command to attack.  
Syrus almost groaned. He could've found a cover, something, if that stupid NCR-dog hadn't opened fire. He could've handled this, and now he had no other choice.  
He approached, his weapon pointed upward.

"Fratres. Hoc est umbra." Syrus truly felt like a traitor. That was it. The code everyone in the Legion knew. It was the sentence only the Frumentarii used, and only when they had no other choice.  
It meant: You have to comply to my every order, or you're endangering a mission."  
And comply they did.

After they heard the code, and a nod from the commander, they dropped their weapons and came closer to Syrus to await further instruction.  
Boone and Arcade watched slack-jawed, the later having seen once before what kind of pull their Legion boy had, simply because he was put in the right unit.  
The sniper hopped down from his vantage spot, and him and Arcade approached at an angle. If they made a move for their weapons, they'd be dead.  
Syrus suddenly found it hard to continue. Killing White Legs… It had been him or them.  
But these were his brothers. Beneath him in rank, yes, but they were Legion. He didn't have to make a move, however.  
Sian came out from behind William, her father right behind her.  
The Legionaries eyes grew wide when they spotted the bandaged man.

"You! You're supposed to be dead!" The commander was shocked and angry. He made a step backwards, only to feel the barrel of Boone's .50 cal poking into his back.  
Arcade raised his plasma gun as well.

"You are a traitor," he roared at Syrus. Before he could even think on what he was going to say to that very true statement, Sian was beside him, her hand on his shoulder.

"He stands with me," Sian spoke very calmly. She looked at the commander, the one who'd grabbed her.  
"You know who I am."

It wasn't a question. It was a statement. He knew.

"And furthermore," she continued, just as calmly, her hand sneaking to her gun, "You know who my father is, that he is alive. And that is why you won't leave. Rotten luck, amici. You die here."

Nobody said a thing. They all knew this had to be done. But Joshua and Arcade seemed deeply troubled.

Sian raised the intricately ornamented .45.

"Why! You are Legion! You were our priestess. You alone had the favour of Mars!" The commander was not begging, nor was he hysteric. He was angry.  
Sian looked him straight in the eye, her sparkling blue leer cold and distant.  
"Pax per bello." She pulled the trigger, calmy, and watched dispassionately as he crumpled, dead long before he hit the dusty ground.  
She didn't move as Boone shot the remaining two Legionaries. Their deaths meant nothing. They would have endangered her father, her friends, and herself.  
There was no other way.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Nobody addressed the incident for the remainder of the trip. Syrus had been a bit more quiet and withdrawn, but he walked beside his friend faithfully and didn't seem to hold her actions against her.

Joshua had more trouble with that. One night, when only him and Arcade were still awake, the older man had given up any resentment he might have had and asked the Follower's doctor if Sian had done this before. Killed in cold blood.

"Well... She killed Benny. I wasn't there, and well… He shot her first, so I don't know if that would be 'in cold blood.' She... It's been a difficult few months for her. But…" Arcade had remembered when Sian had come to him, out of fear that she was cold and heartless. But could he betray her trust like this? If it was to help her, then he could.  
"She told me that, sometimes, when she's in a fight and there is too much blood she gets this... feeling. Like, an urge to spill more. It frightens her. I personally haven't seen it yet, but she told me she gave in to the urge once and that it wasn't pretty."

"It's the Legion," Joshua had answered with a steely voice, "Part of the basic training for recruits is to make them develop a bloodlust. That way, they will never back down from a fight. It's what makes even the lowest of our soldier so dangerous."

Getting no reply, Joshua continued bitterly.

"They must have started her shortly after my execution. This sort of training, it's done from the very first day usually. Get the boys used to the feeling, let them give in to the beast residing in every man. But they learn to reign it in again. But that takes years. Sian didn't have that, clearly. They taught my daughter how to unleash that rage, but not how to stop it. That makes her dangerous."

"But you trained them. You know how to train them the restraint. Teach her," Arcade had interjected.

"No. It's not that I don't want to," Joshua had held up a hand to keep Arcade from interrupting him.  
"I can't. Bloodlust is like a high. The adrenaline made the recruits near feral, and the things we had to do to stop them… I could never do that to Sian. No, we just have to make sure she has neither chance, nor reason to give in. And Doctor... No psycho. Ever."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Look! I can already see the lights!"

Sian was running ahead with Rex and Aurelio. Ever since the Lucky 38 had come in plain view, the girl had been excited, almost giddy. Despite not all her experiences in the city having been enjoyable, she loved Vegas. Loved the lights, the liveliness and the friends she'd made.  
The girl wanted to visit the King, and see Vero and Eddie again.  
Arcade and Boone were looking forward to their arrival as well. The doctor had missed his friends at the Old Mormon Fort and Boone just wanted a cold goddamn beer already.  
Sian had given her father her shawl, and Syrus had dug up his fedora from the bottom of his pack. It was slightly crumpled, but it helped hide his bandages.  
Marrita was looking forward to seeing New Vegas, having only ever heard of it. She was a bit worried about William, but Sian assured her they'd be fine.  
Of course the Kings guarding the Freeside entrance draw their weapons at the sight of William. But Yao Guai were incredibly rare in the desert and they recognized Sian's telltale blue hair beside him.  
After all, this was the kid who kept a dangerous, venomous nightstalker as a snuggle pet.

They were stopped every few yards with people asking what the hell that bear thing was and Marrita found herself explaining it numerous times.  
Arcade left them at the Followers' HQ, promising to come by the 38 in a few days. He'd been gone so long, Julie would surely need him to help out. And he would have hours of work ahead of him, making stimpacks from the ingredients he'd collected.  
The rest of the group made it through the strip without being held up too much.

Sian remembered how foreign and awkward it had felt to call the 38 her home before she left, but now, she couldn't wait to get back. She wanted to sleep in her own bed, get some cold drinks and she had missed Vero and Eddie terribly. For the moment, she forgot that House still needed to be dealt with, that Caesar expected her back, that she had a decision to make. All she thought about was going home.  
The girl made it up to her floor in no time and, stepping out of the elevator, heard the brotherhood scribe rummaging around in the kitchen.

"Vero!" With a gleeful shout, Sian barged in and threw herself at the woman, squeezing the life out of her. Veronica stiffened for a second, but then drew the kid close.  
She was sick and tired of the silence in the tower, and the second her friends had come back, there was hissing, and rattling and laughter.  
Boone and Syrus were bitching at each other, and a huge Yao Guai was trying to push himself into the kitchen…

"What the…" Veronica staggered back a few steps. She'd only seen drawings of this creature and hardly knew what to say.

Sian turned around and saw what had startled her friend.

"Oh, yeah... That's William, don't worry. He's a big puppy. And that's Marrita. She came back with us from Zion."

While the two women greeted each other and Veronica still stared at the bear in disbelief, Sian darted into hallway and came back with a man.

He was pulling off the shawl around his face, revealing the heavy bandages. Sian tugged him forward, grinning from ear to ear.

"Vero. Meet my dad, Joshua Graham."


	26. Chapter 25

Si vis pacem Chapter 25

Sian showed her father the suite she called home, before they sat down for a hastily prepared dinner. They were all hungry, Boone and Syrus especially, and Vero's food smelled heavenly.  
But Sian honestly was most excited about her bed. She felt like she ought to offer the master suite to her father though. He told her to keep her room, but the sleeping arrangements were getting limited.  
In the end, Vero had announced she'd be sleeping with Sian and Joshua could have her bed. Boone and Maritta would share one and Syrus had no problem with taking a sofa.  
Sian was fine with that. She had many things to think about and decide, but despite Vero's talkative nature, she'd be the last one to pry things from her.  
Weary from the long walk home, they all opted for an early night. Sian collapsed on her bed, kicking of her boots and sighing contently. The bed was so soft; she might just fall asleep then and there. Until Vero bounced on the bed, followed by the animals, with Eddie flying in circles above, twittering happily.

"You guys…" she groaned. Rexie squished himself between the girls, tail wagging joyously. He'd missed everyone being in one place and demanded attention from Veronica, who was happy to give it.  
Sian crawled up on the bed and wrapped herself up in the covers.

"So, you want to tell me about this crazy adventure you all went on without little ole me?" The scribe asked, scratching Rex just below his brain casing. She didn't get an answer, and looked over to see Sian had already fallen asleep.  
Sleep made the girl look childlike and innocent, Vero though while regarding her with a soft smile.  
Aurelio curled up on top of her, and the cyberdog settled over Veronica's legs. It didn't take long for her to drift off as well.

When morning came, Maritta was the first to wake. She got up to feed William and get him some water. He wolfed his meat down, but even more, the huge bear enjoyed the water.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I'll have to crack open a pipe to make a drinking fountain for you, huh?" she figured, running her hands through his patchy fur.

"I can do that," a croaky voice startled and Marrita turned to see Boone, leaning against the door frame. He still looked half-asleep.  
"Lemme get some coffee, then we can head out to Freeside and get the tools. Can't have your mutant die of thirst, can we? Just hope none of the robots go commando when I start cracking open a wall…"

"If Sian tells that crazy cowboy robot, it should be fine, right? They're supposed to let her do as she pleases, no?"

"Yeah, I'll leave her a note."

With that, he slouched off to the kitchen, scratching his stomach. It was strange, being back in Vegas, being here with Marrita, instead of _her_.  
But he'd slept better than he had in ages, and he was actually looking forward to taking her out to the city. Gave him something to do.  
Coffee mug in hand, he scribbled a quick note to Sian, knowing she wouldn't be up for another two hours at least.

 _Maybe stop by the King's School, too,_ he thought _, I_ really _need a haircut…_

Marrita soon joined him and needled the sniper to start his day on more than just coffee, both departing the tower shortly after.

Sian was still dead to the world when Vero woke, and the scribe was not inclined to wake her. As soon as she got up, Rex draped himself over his mistress' legs instead and grumbled a bit.

William was still lying in the hallway as Vero cautiously approached. He'd been friendly enough last night, but she was still apprehensive. But William just rolled onto his side and gave her the best puppy dog eyes he could muster. With a laugh, she sank down next to him and petted the mangy fur. That is where Joshua found her a few minutes later. He scratched the beast's head and addressed the girl on the floor.

"God morning, child. I take it my daughter is still asleep?"

"Out like a light," she confirmed, "Isn't even bothered by the dogs and robot in her bed."

"She was like that as a child as well. When she was tired, she'd fall asleep standing if she had to. But I am famished. Would you care for some breakfast?" he asked, holding out his hand to her. She acquiesced and let herself be helped off the floor. Joshua pulled some fruit out of the refrigerator and the two of them sat down. They were pleasantly conversing when Syrus ambled in, wayward blonde curls hanging in his face. Seemed like the boy was not a morning person either. He just grabbed himself a Nuka Cola and tried to remember how to be alive.  
He listened as Veronica found out how Graham had ended up in Zion in the first place, but didn't contribute to the conversation. He looked up when the cyberdog clattered into the kitchen and tried to lavish attention on all three people sitting around the table. They could hear rattling from the hallway, as well as muffled cursing and groaning, which meant Sian was up earlier than she had intended. Neither her father nor Vero paid her any mind, and Syrus was still too drowsy, but when she hobbled into the kitchen, he took one look at her and started laughing, inhaling some of his Nuka. Vero and Graham looked up at that, seeing a very pale Sian glowering at Syrus who was caught between laughter and coughing.  
Her hair was sticking out at odd angles, obscuring her face in a mass of blue.  
When Syrus started choking, Vero punched him between the shoulder blades.

"Should just let him suffocate…"

"Sian! Not before noon." Her father slid a bottle of water and a plate of fruits towards his daughter, who flashed him a lazy grin. She remembered his old "No-death-threats-before-lunch"-rule. She combed through her hair with her fingers, staring at the black roots with disgust. They'd gotten so long in parts, she could even see them without staring at a mirror.  
It bothered her greatly, so she munched on some mutfruit before addressing the brotherhood scribe.

"Vero, I need to find some chemical components to colour my hair again. You'd like to join me? Might find some interesting salvage in Freeside."

Sian was glad when the woman said she'd accompany her. She'd missed her brotherhood friend more than she had expected. Vero, despite her bubbliness, was a calming force in her life. She tried pushing her half eaten plate away, but a cough and stern look from her father halted her.  
She ate the rest of her food without much enthusiasm, wondering why she was in the first place.  
Suddenly having a father again was weird. He insisted she sleep more, eat more, not strain herself, all things she never thought about.  
Finally done, she fled the table, not wanting to address the issue, and got dressed and presentable in record time. While she did, she perused Boone's note that she'd snatched up from the table and told Victor that Boone was going to do some work later, and he was to assist in any way requested. Her and Vero called their farewells and were out on the street in no time.  
Rex and Aurelio were running along beside them, Eddie hovering above and the girls just chatting about nothing important.

"Do you even know where to start looking for the chems? Like, which quantities of what do you need and where would you be most likely to find them?"

"Yeah, I have a rough idea. Last time I did it, I just threw a bunch of chemicals together and it worked. I have to bleach it first though. I think we can find hydrogen peroxide at Mick&Ralph's. They have anything, as long as you don't ask where it came from."

Vero nodded. They had a knack for locating hard-to-find resources. She and Sian strolled towards Freeside, ignoring the drunk people on the Strip. Every now and then they had to sidestep someone, but the MPs ushered the smashed troopers away.  
Stepping through the gate, the scribe was listening to Sian detailing the beauty of Zion, and how the tribes lived there.

"You know, I'm getting kinda jealous here. That must've been such an experience."

"Yeah, well, it definitely was, Vero. But the White Legs. They were savage. Truly. And I'm sure they always were, but the really bad thing is, they pursued the Dead Horses and the Sorrows, just because Caesar wanted my Father dead. They did these horrific things as a trial, because Caesar couldn't admit that he didn't manage to kill the Burned Man. They were a stain in Paradise."

"Yeah, your da- Joshua mentioned that you got into a huge fight, but he didn't elaborate on it. Just said that you were hurt badly. I'm really glad you made it back in one piece."

"Yeah, so am I. I'm not gonna lie, it was bad. And scary. But it helped me remember a lot of things. So, it was a blessing in disguise, I think. Getting stabbed still hurts like a bitch though."

"Only you would call a stab wound a blessing," Vero said with a snort.  
"I missed ya, kiddo."

"Yeah, I missed you too, Vero.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The King's hairdresser was happily snipping away at Boone's hair, humming one of those old-word songs the gang worshipped so, while Marrita did nothing to conceal her laughter at his disgruntled expression.  
For the hundredth time, Boone regretted having forgotten his straight razor before they left for Zion. But this was his only option in the city, aside from a strung-up dude with a knife, living behind some dumpsters.  
Right now, it sounded like an acceptable risk.

 _Only a few more minutes_ , was his repeated mantra, _just endure, you can leave soon_.

It has been Maritta's idea, after he'd carelessly let slip what Sergio did, and the Sniper's hair had gotten too long to want to mess with it himself.  
He wanted a clean cut, not a choppy one, so he had to suffer through the procedure.

But they'd picked up the tools already. Boone had gone to see Arcade and the Followers had loaned them out to him on his friend's good word.  
Sergio finished with one last flourish of the razor, that had Boone worried he might lose and eye, and brushed away the hair on his customer's shoulders.

"There you go! Spic, span and boring, just how you wanted it. You should have let me tried the pompadour. It would look great on you."

With a grimace, Boone handed over a few caps as payment and grudgingly thanked the hairdresser.  
After they left the King's School, Boone laden down with the tools, Marrita couldn't stop laughing.

"You should let them do the pompadour, ya know. Just a cloud of hair on your head. It would look fluffy." 

"Not over my dead body."

"Oh, come on! Live a little! Your hair will fall out before you know it. Be adventurous!"

She continued to needle him all the way to the gate, and despite his scowl, Boone was enjoying himself. Vegas still got under his skin though, so he was looking forward to smashing a wall apart with a sledgehammer.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Vero and Sian returned to the Lucky 38 around noon, and were greeted with flying debris when they stepped out of the elevator. Boone was swinging away at the wall, while Maritta was clearing away the parts of the sturdy wall that came loose.

"Be careful," Vero called to him, "Don't hit an electrical line."

"The handle's wood, I'll be fine," Boone retorted over his shoulder, swinging the hammer again.

Vero shook her head and turned to the beside her.

"You don't need my help, do you?" When Sian shook her head, she smiled a bit.  
"Good. I should stay here and supervise, or we'll be out of power with how Lieutenant Never-Laughs is going ham on the walls."

Sian didn't mind, and went to dump the chems in her room. She'd gotten a fair amount, and Ralph had been quite helpful, telling her how to mix the components most efficiently. She'd be able to use them for more than one time, which was good, as finding these chemicals was rather difficult.  
But she didn't feel like dyeing her hair right now. She could go find Syrus or her father, but she had a feeling she knew what any conversation with them would boil down too.

On their way back to Vegas, she had mentioned that Caesar was still expecting her back, and there had been a huge argument over whether she should see him or not.  
Syrus said yes, while everyone else was against the idea.  
Sian herself was torn. On one hand, she knew returning to the Fort would be very dangerous. But she had to find out his plans. All she knew was that Caesar ultimately wanted to take over the Mojave and make Vegas what Flagstaff had been; The capital of his empire.  
She needed to find out how, needed to know how he hoped to fight the NCR.  
The Legion leader thought the vault under his camp had been destroyed, and expected her to kill House before she reported back, which would eliminate the threat that he posed.  
But how was she supposed to kill House without being torn apart by the robots in his tower?

She left her room and left the Penthouse through the somewhat hidden door to the stairwell. Sian needed to come up with a game plan, and she'd have to do it alone. The others just wanted to force their opinions on her, maybe even subconsciously. And Sian appreciated their experience.  
But this choice was her burden, and she'd be the one to directly feel the consequences. And so, the decision had to be hers alone.

Aurelio and Rex were with her, chasing each other up and down the stairs. Sometimes theirs was the only company Sian could bear.  
She stopped on a landing she'd never paid any attention to. There was a door one could easily overlook, since it had the same colour as the concrete walls. In faded, hard-to-read letters there was a sign that marked the door as "Maintenance Bay".  
Curious as ever, she pushed the door open, her critters following her into the unknown territory.

It made sense that there'd be a maintenance area, she thought. The robots didn't require much; they were designed to last. But the simple electronics of the building needed to be looked after, and she couldn't see House doing any real work, even before the war.  
Every surface was covered in dust, and there were no footprints here. She was the first person to enter this place in nearly 200 years, she was sure of it.  
The door wasn't large enough to let the Securitrons through, and Sian was glad about that. She'd gotten used to being under constant surveillance, but they still unnerved her greatly.  
Sian ventured into a small workspace, with a desk, and old terminal and a large assortment of clutter.  
Sitting down, she began aimlessly searching the drawers. She wasn't looking for anything in particular, but she was fascinated with anything pre-war. She loved glimpses into other people's lives. People who lived in an intact world, who surely had their own problems, but didn't have to fear raiders, or mutants.  
Sometimes she wondered what it would have been like to be alive in those times.

Rex and Aurelio were running around behind her, whirling up the dust, and their constant sneezing kept the girl from getting lost in that train of thought. There was nothing too interesting in the drawers. Old requisition forms, technical manuals, lunch receipts. Only when she came to the bottom drawer did she hit the goldmine.

An old journal, dusty and worn, the old leather cracked. She picked it up and laid it on the desk with baited breath. She'd found one once before, but that person hadn't been much of a writer. A few entries, but mainly just appointments.  
She opened it gingerly, not wanting to damage the ancient pages. 

'Property of Henry Kingston' the first page wrote in a beautiful script. Carefully flipping through the pages, Sian was delighted to find them filled with words, thoughts, life.  
Rex and Aurelio had found an old rope and were playing tug-o-war in the background, but the girl was sucked into the diary.  
Henry described his daily life, how taxing it could be to work all day in a city surrounded by tourists. He talked about his family, his young wife Lisa and their two little daughters. Working for House was exhausting, but it provided the income they dearly needed.  
She read about his home, the picket fence, the swing set in the back yard.  
And she read about his fear at the steadily more aggressive mood in the country. The war in Anchorage was peaking. Henry wasn't at the front, due to his job. Mr. House made sure of that.  
And while his boss worked him like a mule, Henry was grateful. He didn't want to leave his family.

Sian was totally oblivious to the time passing, and after an hour, she came to entries dated September 2077. She knew the bombs fell a month later.  
Henry's writing was just as interesting, but had gotten angrier. He didn't like, nor trust the Securitrons in the Casino and made no secret about it.  
There were vague mentions of work he was doing in House's office. He didn't go into detail, but he sounded annoyed. Reading, Sian got the feeling that he was creeped out at his boss.

 _'Don't blame him,'_ she thought, _'House is a creepy guy.'_

The most interesting entry was October 20th.

 _Today House told me the work in his office is done. And I've got to write it down somewhere, need to tell someone, even if it's only myself. If House ever finds this, I'll lose my job for sure. But he never comes down here anyway, and the robots don't fit through the door to the bay, I made sure of that. Damn tin cans. But I'm getting off track.  
House had me help install a sort of pod in his backroom. A lot of advanced tech, and medical stuff I didn't understand. But the point is, the old madman is putting himself in stasis! He told me it was just a precaution, and left me instruction on how to break the stasis. He said that the war will get worse, he had inside information, but he had an anti-missile defence instated in the desert around the city. Vegas will be safe. He's a crazy old cat, but I admit, the defence system eases my mind. My girls will be safe, at least.  
Still, the stasis is a crazy idea. It'll just be me and the robots for now. That's not a comforting thought. I still have the override password though. Glad I never told House about that and just stashed it away in the vent. It'll shut all the robots in the 38 down. Maybe I'll do that until I'm supposed to wake the Old Man back up. It'll be quiet in here, but I'll take the silence over having to watch my back all the time.  
But that's enough for now. Lisa is making a roast today, and she'll skin me if I'm late._

This was the last entry. Sian felt sadness wash over her.  
 _He would have not just stopped writing. He wrote down his thoughts every day. I hope they didn't suffer._

But her eyes sought out the passage about the password again. If this was true, if it still worked...  
Looking around the office, she found a rusted old vent near the floor. Suddenly very anxious, she dug through one of the closets in the corner, finding a crowbar in the back. She had to check.  
She pried the vent off the wall without much difficulty and went routing around in the dark hole.  
Her fingers bumped into a small tin box. Pulling it out, Sian saw it once held tobacco. She opened it, and inside was an old piece of paper, yellowed by age, the writing faded, but still legible.

 _Thank you, Henry. I hope you rest easy._

Sian knew House had to die, she'd just struggled with the how. Now she had her chance. She was about to leave the office with the mutts, but turned back at the door and went to grab the journal. She'd keep it in her room, flick through it occasionally.  
Henry Kingston had done her a great service, and for that, she'd keep his memory alive.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Lucky 38 was quiet. It was about an hour after everyone had retired. Sian had told the others she had a migraine, and so to not bother her, Vero opted to claim Syrus' couch for the night, while he slept on the floor.  
Sian was sitting at the Terminal in her room, following the instructions on the scrap of paper. She understood what she was doing here mostly ant the mass of code indicated that this override would disable the towers defences.  
She realized why Henry had created this. It was a failsafe for his work. Imagine trying to repair some wiring, hitting the wrong one and be torn apart by turrets or Securitrons.  
She slowly typed in the override password when the prompt appeared on her screen.  
This was it, she realized. Sian pulled on her jacket, grabbed her gear and her bag, and left the room.  
On her bed lay a note that said she went to visit Arcade to help him make stimpacks and that she'd be back by night time.  
Outside, William cracked open an eye as she shut her door, but didn't move. The soft gurgling of his new water fountain mixed with a rattle as her pets followed the girl to the stairwell. Slowly and quietly, Sian made her way up to the Penthouse, screwing the Silencer onto her .45 before she stepped through the door.  
Jane and the Securitron by the elevator were hunched over, powered down, and the whole floor was silent as a tomb. Sian wasn't frightened, but it gave her goose bumps nonetheless.  
She made her way over to the terminal beside Mr. House's screen.

"What do you think you're doing? What have you done to my Securitrons?"

"I'm coming in and we're going to talk", she said as she punched the maintenance password into the keyboard.  
"Face to face."

A panel of the wall slid back to reveal an antechamber with three Securitrons inside. These were also not functional. She used the security terminal and then activated the elevator on the other side of the small room. Sian stepped inside with Rex and Aurelio, ready for anything once those doors parted again.  
But she was met with more deafening silence. Henry really knew his stuff. She stood on a walkway above the room where she'd watched the upgraded OS demonstration a while ago. At the end was a yet another terminal, and beyond that, a pod.  
The terminal let her open the pod, and affirmed the choice after reading the imminent risk of microbial infection. The hissing of the machine agitated the animals, but Sian was calmer than ever.  
Looking upon the shrivelled body of the elusive Mr. House almost made her nauseous, but strengthened her resolve. He should have died a long time ago.

"What... have you... done? Why?" His voice was raspy and laboured.  
"Centuries of preparation... So much good, undone..."

"Caesar commanded that I kill you."

"Slavery... The future of... mankind? How could you?"

"I'm not doing it for Caesar. The people of Vegas, of the Mojave, will never be slaves. Not his. And not yours."

"So you think... You can save... this place? You alone? What can you... possibly do?"

"I don't know yet," Sian admitted, "Maybe my choice will lead to a disaster. But it is a disaster of my making. I don't take your orders any more. I don't take orders from Caesar, nor will I take orders from the NCR. You don't care about the people. And you thought I wouldn't either. That I'd just be another pawn, like Benny was."

Sian stepped closer to the pod, ignoring Rex's growling. House's beady eyes watched her. She didn't hide her repulsion at what he was.

"But I am not a pawn. I have seen what the people can do. I have seen the kindness they are capable of. And their will to survive. Maybe it will all crash and burn. Vegas, the Mojave, humanity itself. But I will do anything I can to protect these people. And I will never be alone."

"Foolish child... The world will... crush you. You have... doomed everyone. Without my Securitrons..."

"Ah, see, now that's where you lack information," Sian interrupted him.  
"Benny had a plan for that, a surprisingly good one. I'll take over your robots. And they will keep New Vegas safe while I deal with the Bull and the Bear."

Sian pulled out her .45. House deserved to suffer more, but she couldn't risk it. She aimed her gun squarely at his forehead. The girl felt like she should say something. Anything to justify what she was doing. But there were no words. Nothing to say that would cleverly sum it all up.  
All she could do is look at him.  
She pulled the trigger, and even with the silencer, in the silence of the wide, open space, the shot seemed to ring in her ears.  
The mangled remains of House's head lolled around.  
There was a weight on Sian's shoulders. There was no going back now. For better or worse, the fate of New Vegas was on her now.

The blue-haired girl fled the tower with her pets, almost tripping over her feet in her haste to get out of there. Not only did she want to flee the responsibility, she also had a serious time limit.  
She breezed into the Tops Casino, all but throwing her guns at the greeter.  
After she arrived in Benny's suite and threw the doors shut behind her, the girl went to find Yes-Man.

"Hello! How can Yes-Man help you today?"

Sian found this robot only a bit less creepy than Victor, but it couldn't be helped.

"I don't have much time, so I'll get straight to the point. House is dead. And I need you to take control of the network."

"Splendid news!" the Securitron chirped.  
"I knew you were a safe bet from the moment I first saw you. What would you like me to do once I take over?"

"You'll keep business running as usual. Securitrons patrol the strip, no one but my friends enter the Lucky 38. I will be gone for a while, and you will tell no one what is going on until I tell you otherwise, got it? If you need to talk to someone, activate Victor so no one gets suspicious."

"Sure thing! Anything else you want me to do?"

"Yeah, I want you to go through House's databanks," Sian added as an afterthought.  
"Compile a report of any information you find on the dealings of the NCR, the Legion and the other factions in the wasteland. Can you do that?"

"That will be no problem. I'll be leaving now, and I'll have that report when you come back."

"Thanks, Yes-Man." Maybe he wasn't as bad Victor after all.

After the screen went blank, Sian knew her requests would be taken care of, and she left the casino again, collecting her weapons on the way out. Her nightly trek from the strip to the Freeside gate was uneventful, save for a quick stop at Dixon's to score some Buffout.  
She needed to be far away from Vegas come morning.

Stepping out into the desert, Sian washed down a pill with some water and set off southward. Aurelio and Rex ran ahead, making one hell of a racket, enjoying the extended walk.  
With the drug keeping her awake and giving her a boost, she'd take maybe a day and a half to reach Cottonwood cove. If she was any kind of lucky, no one would suspect her missing until the evening. Then they'd never catch up with her.  
Sian felt a bit guilty, because once her friends and her father realized she was gone, they'd be worried. And furious, probably.  
But she needed to do this, no matter what Boone, Arcade or her father thought. And she needed to do this alone, no matter what Syrus said about that.  
She'd have to find a way to explain her long absence, but she was confident that she'd come up with something.

And Caesar should be pleased to know that Robert House was dead and gone.


	27. Chapter 26

Chapter 26 -

Joshua woke at the crack of dawn, as usual. He might have to get in the habit of sleeping longer, since he didn't really have anything to do here in Vegas.  
He was in the same room as Veronica and Syrus and glanced over at them. The young scribe was buried in her covers, while the boy was lying on his back in front of the sofa, snoring softly.  
Quietly, he got up and rifled through the bookshelf to find something to occupy himself with.  
House has stored some real old world classics in the 38, and Joshua picked up a random title that caught his interest.

'Of Mice and Men... What an odd title.'

The entire suite was quiet as he made his way to the kitchen, Sian's door still closed, as he expected and Joshua made himself a coffee and sat at the long table.  
He enjoyed the silent mornings, where it was just him and a book. They had never happened in Zion, and he wouldn't mind them becoming his new reality.  
After a few minutes, he looked up to see William squeeze his huge body through the door. The Yao Guai had figured out how to do that the day before and now flopped down beside the old man with a heavy thud.  
With a chuckle, Joshua began to scratch the huge head, focusing on his book once more.

It took another two hours for the rest of the ragtag team to start trickling in to the kitchen in search of food and coffee. When Sian still hadn't got up at 8 AM, Vero went to get her, as Joshua knew they needed to speak about what was going to happen now.

But she came back alone, holding a note.

"Sian says here that she couldn't sleep and left early to help out around the Mormon Fort and see Arcade. She'll be back by night time."

Joshua sighed. It was important to get her to talk to them on this topic, so they could plan the next move, but as pressing as the matter was, leaving it for the night or tomorrow wouldn't be the end of the world.

"So, what are everyone's plans for the day?"

"I need to clean my guns. It's easier to do here when there's no sand getting everywhere," Boone grumbled. He'd kept his rifles maintained, but only as much as was needed. They were overdue for a proper cleaning.

"Yeah, I need to do some repairs on Eddie. Nothing major, but he's getting fritzy,"Vero piped in.

"Oh! Can I watch? There weren't many robots out in Zion. Maybe I can learn something."

"Sure. Would be fun." The Brotherhood scribe was looking forward to get to know the newcomer. Also, she loved teaching people what she knew about repairs. And she was soaking in human contact after she'd been alone in the Tower for so long. 

Syrus was half asleep at the table and stretched his sore back.

"I think I'm going to go to one of the empty floors and train. There has to be something I can abuse as a sparring dummy."

"Don't take apart the hotel," Joshua chuckled, half-serious.  
"Well then, it seems your all set. So I'm going to excuse myself. This is turning out to be a very interesting book."

The day passed calmly, despite the noise in the tower. As evening approached, Syrus, after taking a shower, helped Vero and Marrita prepare dinner for the large group of people living together.  
While chopping up vegetables, he wondered how it was working. How they all, with so very different beliefs, could live together without butchering each other.  
And he came to the conclusion that it was Sian. She was the only thing they all had in common, this girl, with ambition and an iron will, who somehow managed to literally drag them all across the country.  
It had been orders. Keep her safe, keep her on course, but somewhere along the line, their relationship had changed.  
He'd always been fond of her, admired her spunk and courage, but on their trip to Zion, they'd really become friends. And he was once more conflicted about what to do next. His mission was the same as before, but he questioned how long Sian would go along with it.

Soon they were all seated, but missing their blue-haired little fiend. Marrita had asked if they should wait, but just as she said it, the elevator doors dinged and slide open. 

"We're in the kitchen, come grab some dinner!" Vero called, but to everyone's surprise, it was Arcade who stuck his head through the door.

"What a warm welcome. And here I was only gonna drop off a fresh batch of Stimpacks."

Joshua's brow furrowed, wrinkling his bandages.  
"Isn't Sian with you?"

"What?" Arcade looked confused.  
"I haven't seen her since we got back to Vegas. Why? What happened?"

"Goddammit!" Joshua's fist slammed heavily on to the table.  
"She took off, that's what happened."

He stormed out of the kitchen and into the Master Suite. Her guns were gone, as was her rifle. Her Jacket, her bag, the machete, all gone. He searched her desk for clues, finding the leather bound journal. Flicking through it, Joshua quickly found the last entry. Found out that an override existed and he knew what had happened.

The others had all come pouring into the hallway, staring at him.

"That hers?" Boone asked, "It say where the fuck she went?"

"No. No, this journal is a good 200 years old. But it told her a way to get to House without being noticed. Victor!" The Securitron whizzed to life , the goofy cowboy face flickering over the screen.

"What can ole Victor do for you, Sir?"

"Where is House?!

"Well, up in his office, of course. He didn't leave in 200 years."

"Cut the crap, will you! I know Sian went up to see him. What did she do?"

"She went up to talk to him. Now, I'm not authorized to relay exactly what the bossman chatted about with the Lil' Lady. But since we're all friends here. Miss Sian was asked to run some errands for the fat cat. She should be back before long, not a hair outta place."

"Is that supposed to be any kind of comforting, you heap of scrap on wheels!"

"Joshua, calm down," Marrita called, "You're going to have a heart attack. Let's just think. Where would she have gone?"

Looking around, she saw tense faces. She was concerned as well, but Marrita didn't really understand the scope of the situation. Zion had been a dog-eat-dog world, but everyone mostly fended for themselves out there.  
Here, much more lives were at stake. Lives that depended on the choices of a 17 year old girl they probably didn't even know. And who had never asked for the responsibility.  
It was pure crazy, wrapped in insanity. 

"She's gone to see Caesar," Boone growled. There was no doubt in his mind that House was dead. Sian had wanted to kill him long before they even went to Zion.  
"She's been yapping about that the entire trip back. He expects her back, she needs to know his plans, all that bullshit. You! Did you know about this?"

He rounded on Syrus, who looked offended and surprised. He felt all of their accusing glares, but he knew nothing and he was angry.  
How could she have gone without him? Didn't she trust him? He'd have helped her keep it a secret!

"No, I don't know. I would've gone with her."

"Yeah, right! You're the one who kept saying she had to go back!"

"Because if she doesn't, he's going to send fucking assassins after her, you idiot!"

Boone and Syrus were glaring at each other, and Arcade grabbed the younger man by the collar, yanking him away from the large sniper.

"This is not helping." He kept a firm grip on Syrus, who glared daggers at him, but turned to Joshua, who was only quietly seething.  
"Do you have any idea when she left? Can we still catch up to her? She's not the fastest walker, after all."

"She could have left any time after midnight. That's a day and a half. It's only a 20 hour walk. We'll never catch up now."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Night was starting to fall, and Sian could slowly feel the effect of Buffout fading. But it wasn't far any more. She was on the road to Cottonwood Cove, already past the first crosses, and the girl knew she could sleep on the raft.  
She called out to Legionary guarding the road, as not to startle him.

"What is your busine- Oh, right. You're the one with Caesar's favour. It's been a long time."

Sian was surprised at how civil she was being greeted, but she'd take that over hostility. She smiled weakly.

"Ave. Yeah, I know. My assignment was a bit tricky. Is Cursor Lucullus at the docks?"

"Yeah, he's there. He'll take you up to the Fort."

With a nod, Sian passed him and strode through the old world resort with her pets at her side. She saw the Centurion, Aurelio, stand on his own little patio, but she just glared at him.  
Sian remembered now. Remembered how much she despised him.  
He just sneered back, with a look that made her skin crawl.  
The Legionaries on watch all threw her weird looks, not even trying to hide it.  
The girl just kept walking, head held high, until she reached the docks. As promised, Lucullus was there, sitting on his raft.

"Ave, Lucullus," Being around these men, the Legion, smelling the wood fires and the leather, the Latin came a lot more naturally. As did the stiffness of her walk.  
"Can you take me up to the Fort?"

"Naturally. We expected you back weeks ago."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Sian sank down onto the raft. She didn't even try to hide how exhausted she was. After Aurelio and Rex hoped on, the Cursor began to untie the raft and kicked off from the dock.  
Sian knew she couldn't trust anyone in a skirt, but she was so tired, and last time she was here, Lucullus has been downright friendly, compared to everyone else. So she decided to take a chance  
"Job took a lot longer than expected. I just walked all day. Can you just wake me when we get there?"

"Of course."

Even without his assurance, there was no way Sian could have stayed awake. She laid down on the wood, using her bag as a pillow, and the motion and sounds of the Colorado River put her to sleep almost instantly.

"Hey!" Sian felt a heavy boot nudge her in the ribs, not gentle, but not overly hard either. She felt like she'd slept ten years, instead of a few hours.  
"Come on, get up. We're almost there."

Sian pushed herself up and stretched until she felt her spine pop. Aurelio was lying beside her on his back, snoozing, while Rex lay at the edge of the raft, with his snout underwater, blowing bubbles.  
She was drowsy, and it was still dark, but Sian knew that she needed to be awake and alert at the Fort, so she knelt next to her cyberdog and stuck her head in river.  
The shock of cold water jerked her awake, so she dug around her bag, pulled out a yucca banana and started munching on it.

Needing to collect her thoughts before she met with Caesar, Sian opted to not make conversation with Lucullus, instead, getting the story straight that she had laid out for herself.  
She needed to deliver it perfectly, and without fumbling.  
Getting her memory back also meant Sian remembered how observant Caesar was. He didn't become leader of one of the biggest armies in the Wasteland by twiddling his thumbs.  
She watched the Fort inch closer to them, and despite the trepidation, she felt her resolve solidify. This was something that needed to be done.

Once she reached the Fort, she was led through it by a gate guard, and marvelled how peaceful the camp was just before dawn. Except for the night guards, everyone was asleep, and it was quiet without being creepy.

In front of Caesar's tent, she had to wait a good fifteen minutes for his guards to rouse him, and probably get him to not look like he was still asleep.  
When she was finally asked inside, she noted that no one told her the dogs couldn't enter, which made her feel a lot better.  
They were only animals, but she wasn't alone.  
Lucius, as always, was standing behind Caesar's throne, but she masterfully avoided making eye contact with him, focusing on the man in the ornate chair instead.

"So. You finally returned. And where the hell have you been for the past month!"

He didn't quite shout, but his voice was raised, and Sian was on guard, but not frightened.

"I've been kicking my way through mutated wildlife.," she retorted, quick to continue before he interrupted her.  
"When I got back, House had one of his tin cans tell me that he had a job for me, recovering some obscure pre-war blueprints from a company up north. Near where Carson City used to be. He wouldn't let me up before I got those stupid prints."

"Then you should've found another way in!"

"I am certain your Frumentarii have tried numerous times to find a way in to the tower," the girl replied with just the right amount of condescension.  
"The only way in, or out, of the Tower is through the front door, which is guarded by a mini tank, with loads more of them inside."

For a second, she thought she'd gotten too arrogant, but after glaring at her for a good five minutes, Caesar relaxed back into his throne.  
She knew she wasn't off the hook just yet, though.

"What were the plans about?"

"Uhm.." Sian was caught off guard for a second, but saved herself just in time, "I'm not sure actually. Some advanced bio-tech. I didn't really know what it is."

"Hmm."

Caesar stayed silent for a while, but Sian didn't expect follow-up questions. The Legion, short-sightedly, wasn't interested in advanced technology. She was just waiting for the big question and was surprised he hadn't asked her first thing.

"What of the mission I gave you? After you dealt with his little plans? Is House dead?"

"Yes," Sian answered, truthful for the first time, and she saw the old man's lips curve into a smile.  
"I'm not sure if you could call what he was alive, but he sure as hell isn't any more."

"Excellent! It took a lot longer than expected, but that's good news, regardless. I imagine you found a way to conceal that for the time being?"

"Yes. There was a standby program, of sorts. Keeps the rudimentary functions active until I shut them off."

Caesar stood up, and paced around the small open space. He seemed deep in thought, but Sian was thankful for the moment's reprieve. Keeping her voice and posture from giving her away was difficult, and she exchanged a glance with Lucius. His face was impossible to read, and she looked away immediately.  
The girl hadn't planned any further than this conversation. That was the whole reason she had come here in the first place, but now she was walking blind.  
But she didn't have to wait for long.

"Normally, keeping me waiting for this long warrants punishment. But I'll make an exception this time. Now, we have work to do. Also, where did you leave my Frumentarius?"

"Syrus has been.. invaluable. He stayed behind in New Vegas, just in case the Securitrons go nuts and need to be shut off. I assumed you'd want me to report back more than him."

"True," he smirked. Caesar turned to face her, hands crossed behind his back.  
"Are you aware that there is a heavily armed tribe, just north of New Vegas? A tribe, whose overwhelming fire power would be a welcome addition to my forces in the upcoming battle?"

"No, I wasn't." This was the first time Sian heard of that. But she wasn't taken aback by the abrupt change of subject. She remembered he liked to do that.

"Well, now you do. And you will bring them my offer. Join the Legion in the battle for Hoover Dam, and in turn, I will not enslave them, or refuse, and get crushed."

A muscle twitched in Sian's cheek. That offer would not go over well. She used to have no big thoughts on the Legion keeping slaves, because that's what she had known all her life, but now it scratched her in all the wrong spots.

"Is there any more I need to know about them? What do they call themselves?"

"They're called the Boomers," he replied with a telling, rather nasty smirk, "And there is a very big chance that you'll die, trying to reach them."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You're going to have to share a tent with me, but I guess it's better than Boone murdering you with a spoon."

Syrus dropped his bag next to a small cot and grimaced at the blond Follower's doctor. Despite his interference, himself and the NCR sniper had gotten into a heated shouting match over who's fault it was that Sian decided to up and leave in the middle of the night. That is until Arcade had unceremoniously grabbed his things and marched the younger man out of the Tower.  
Now he was pouting, but Arcade was merciless. Syrus was to be just a common wastelander while he was here, and not let his cover blow under any circumstance.  
Arcade wasn't thrilled that he now had to babysit, but this was the best option. He was sure that Boone was going to stomp out into the wastes to bring Sian back, but wasn't sure that was the best idea. They would definitely get into a fight again.

Arcade was about to pull his own hair out in frustration when a young girl poked her head through the flap of his tent.

"Julie said you were back. I went through your papers and managed to sort the whole mess. You really need to organize it better if you- Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't know you had a guest."

"No, it's alright, Lucy, thank you. Just drop it on the desk, please."

A small, thin girl stepped through the flap, her deep red hair pulled back into a long braid, and her arms full of papers. The sparkling hazel eyes rested on Syrus for a moment before she carefully set down the stack of papers. She was wearing a slightly dirty Follower's coat over a worn, but clean, green dress.  
She made no move to leave afterwards, but stared at Arcade expectantly. 

"Oh, right," he sighed. Motioning to the young Legion soldier, he introduced him.  
"This is Lucy. She's my.. assistant, of sorts. Helps with the research. My friend's name here is Sy. He's gonna stay with us for a bit. And make himself useful around the Fort."

The last part was added with a stern glare, to which Syrus rolled his eyes. He flashed a bright smile at the girl.

"I'm sure I'll find something to do around here, Lucy. Maybe help you a bit with the research."

Lucy giggled at that, but Arcade groaned, massaging his temples.

"Over my dead body, boy."

He grabbed Syrus by his shoulder and threw him out of the tent.

"Go see Harvey. He does maintenance around the place and always needs people to do the dirty work. Make yourself useful somewhere else."

He turned back to Lucy, who was still wearing a bemused smile, and started to engage her in a discussion over his new research on brock flower growth.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Night had settled over the Mojave as Vulpes was making his way back toward Cottonwood Cove. He had led a raiding party to Ranger Station Charlie. No one was left there.

Now, in order to avoid profligate troops, he had to loop around a bit, not take a direct route. One of his escorts had been injured and Vulpes had commanded them both to stay behind.  
It was late now, surely around two in the morning he thought, looking at the stars to calculate the time. There was a small Prospector camp on the ridge above the Colorado that was almost always empty. He could sleep there for the night, then wander the hills and approach Cottonwood Cove through the Canyon. 

The Legion commander picked up his pace. He wanted out of this damn breastplate, that was still caked in blood and dust, wanted to sit down and patch up some small injuries, most of all, he wanted peace and quiet.  
After an hour of brisk walking, he was close, but to his dismay, there was smoke rising from the small shack. This far east it could only be prospectors, who he'd scare away, or Legionaries, who would be ordered away. Fuck it, he wasn't in the mood for company, hadn't been in years.  
Vulpes rounded the final corner, ripper drawn, when he was greeted with hissing and growling.  
Ignoring the animals, who were clearing acting out of protection, he caught sight of that blue shock of hair. That girl was lying on her side, resting her head on one of her arms. A gold pendant had slipped out from under her collar. It wasn't the mark of Caesar. Before he got a closer look, the small nightstalker had nudged his mistress and she jerked awake, her pistol in her hands immediately.  
And they watched each other across the fire, the flame's shadow painting emotions on their faces that were usually hidden. Her eyes widened a fraction, before a small smile crept over her face.

"Vulpes..." The whisper was faint in the night, but kind and gentle, how she had always spoken to him.  
"Vulpes. Don't you recognize me?"

And he did. On the spot. There was an uncertainty about her since he'd first meet her in Nipton. That nagging fragment of hope he always squashed immediately.  
But of course it was her. Now that he really, truly looked at her. Looked past the blue hair, the thinner face and saw her eyes.  
The wasteland had made this little girl grow up. Gave the childlike face sharp edges. A face of woman who had lived and had a story to tell.  
In Nipton, the shawl, the glasses and the hair colour had been enough to fool him.  
But now, those kind blue eyes, the gentle voice, and his own Frumentarius tag hanging from her neck...  
This was his Sian, no doubts whatsoever. He dropped his ripper, and closed the distance between them to embrace her small frame in a bone-crushing hug.  
Sian was being squeezed against the stiff leather and metal of breastplate but didn't complain. She didn't even mind the blood that was being smeared on her shirt. But eventually she needed to speak up.

"I can't breathe. Let me go, you buffoon."

Slowly, hesitantly, Vulpes broke the embrace. There was a war inside him, between joy and deep anger. And embarrassment at dropping his facade.  
But she knew. Sian always knew. But when he looked at her, the girl's expression was guarded. She too, wasn't able to fully enjoy being reunited with her oldest friend.

"Where.. Where the hell have you been!?" Vulpes almost shouted. She'd been in Nipton obviously. Shot in the head, obviously. Still. Where had she been after she ran?

Sian sat back down at the fire and beckoned him to join her. He numbly complied.

"Things are still a bit hazy. It's very hard to focus on what happened before I was shot."  
His glance drifted over the scars hidden beneath the hairline and a scowl formed on his face.

"I jumped into the Colorado and just swam. By the time I reached the other shore, the current had dragged me a few miles south. There was nothing but cliff. Sancia stole some of the plain clothes Tacitus used to give me on assignment and I changed, dumped my old clothes in the river and just climbed the cliffs. I ended up in an NCR Ranger Station. Echo, I think. I lied to them, told them I escaped from Arizona and they let me stay for a few days."

Sian looked at his stony face. Fleeing to the NCR, defecting basically, was treacherous. It went against everything he believed and she knew that. But he said nothing.  
Vulpes just let his anger simmer beneath the surface, grinding his teeth.

"It was my only choice. I had to leave. You know that! You know I had no other choice."

Vulpes stood up abruptly, turning his back on her.

"No. I could have helped you. I would have. I spent _over a year_ looking for you in this godforsaken desert. I was humiliated when I came back empty-handed every time. I _told_ you, I was going to take care of it! And now? Where has it lead you? Traversing the wastes with Profligates, cozying up in the Strip? Have you become so fond of your precious NCR that you still decide to abandon where you belong?"

"There was nothing you could have done!" Sian yelled, on her feet now as well.  
"I'm so bloody sorry you had your ego bruised, but I did what I had to do. I didn't need you to save me, I saved myself! Don't dare to assume you know who I am. Or the reasons for my actions. Things have changed. I've seen what is really at stake. For everyone."

Vulpes wanted to give in to his anger, but he didn't. He'd often dreamt that when he found her, it would be different. But now, it was so much more complicated.  
Sian was the first to make a move however.  
She came closer to him, laying a hand on his arm.

"I.. Don't want to fight you. I remember now. Remember what you meant. Who you were to me. I want it back. I want my life back, before the Butcher came into it. It was so easy. I knew what was right and what was wrong. I knew who to trust. Now I can't trust anyone."

"You know the war is coming. No matter what you do, you need to choose a side. " Vulpes spoke quietly. He didn't want to say these things, because he dreaded the answer. Sian had been indoctrinated into the Legion, even more so than himself.  
But just like himself, she'd seen the world outside. Most likely, she had seen more of the Wasteland than himself.  
"And if you chose them, there is nothing I can do for you. I know you have worked for Caesar after you came back, without even knowing that you belong to us. Please. Just come back with me."

There was a sad smile on Sian's face. There was no chance in hell she'd go back. She couldn't. And deep down, Vulpes knew that. But she didn't say it. She didn't want to say it.  
She pulled him over to the fire, and tugged on his arm as she sat down.

"Can we just sit? Sit and talk, like when we were children. Please?"

And there was a softness in the Fox's eyes that no one knew. No one but her. Sian knew the stories about him were true. He'd always possessed a cruel streak, even as a boy. She knew how ruthless he could be. If she took a clear stance against the Legion, they would be on opposite sides of battle fields. And he'd show her no mercy.  
And after everything that had happened, neither would she.  
All she wanted was one night. One night where none of this mattered, and it was just him and her, like it used to be.  
She watched his face, that face that she knew so well, with the sharp features, and the small scar just under the chin. The cold grey eyes.  
It was the same face she remembered. 


End file.
